18 BOSS 4 fa ll/w i nte r 2014 akg-images/Newscom Service/UIG Right): Independent Picture via Getty Images “I LIKE IKE” Button (Top IN THE YEARS AFTER WORLD WAR II, DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER WAS THE MOST FAMOUS MAN IN THE WORLD AND MOST TRUSTED MAN IN AMERICA

BY DAVID HOLZEL

he weather forecast over the They had only a small window of headquarters, Eisenhower gave the English Channel for June 5, opportunity to act. The launch had to order to launch the attack at 9:45 p.m. 1944, was for storms. The be made at dawn, on low tide, with at In clearing weather, more than greatest amphibious assault least a half moon the night before. In 156,000 troops landed on June 6. It was, in history was poised to the spring of 1944, those conditions one historian said, as if a medium-sized get underway—but would were met only in early May and the first city had been moved 100 miles away in the Allies’ attempt to dislodge the Nazis and third weeks of June. May was now one night, against violent opposition. Tfrom France founder due to bad weather? past, and the first week of June was The D-Day invasion was like a vast The final decision to launch machine of moving parts and Operation Overlord was with systems, a bureaucracy of the supreme Allied commander, departments, each responsible for Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. its own job. The only man Steady, indefatigable and responsible for seeing the whole a master of detail and picture, for knowing if the morale building, the 53-year- machine was working correctly, old Kansan had led the was Eisenhower. painstaking planning for what “Plans are worthless,” he has since become known as told an audience when he the D-Day invasion. was president, “but planning Overlord relied on Allied air is everything.” superiority to help break the In the first week, the German line. So when it came to Allies consolidated a bridgehead. its execution, Eisenhower U.S. Army via CNP/Newscom And although Allied victory argued for total commitment. General Dwight D. Eisenhower giving orders to American was a long way from being “Every obstacle must be paratroopers in England on D-Day, June 6, 1944. assured, D-Day was the beginning overcome, every inconvenience of the end of Nazi Germany. suffered and every risk run to ensure almost over. The Allies were running Out of that defeat, Eisenhower, with that our blow [is] decisive,” he wrote to out of time. his lopsided grin, straight talk and the Combined Chiefs of Staff, supreme Eisenhower decided to take the modest demeanor, became the most military staff for the Western Allies. chance. After meeting with the top famous—and possibly most popular— “We cannot afford to fail.” Allied commanders in their London man in the world.

www.dixonva lve.co m fa ll/w i nte r 2014 4 BOSS 19 US Official Photograph Mirrorpix/Newscom US Official Photograph

Left: Cadet Dwight D. Eisenhower kicking a football at West Point in 1912. Above: American troops drive an amphibious vehicle aboard an invasion landing craft in preparation for the Normandy invasion.

Ida Stover Eisenhower taught their years went by, the ambitious Eisenhower U.S. Army via CNP/Newscom children to be honest and self-reliant. had little to show for his dedication to As a boy, Eisenhower studied the armed forces. He served ably as an As commander of the Allied Forces military history on his own. Athletic as assistant to Gen. Douglas MacArthur in in Europe in World War II and two- a youth, he discovered leadership talents the Philippines and was a protégé of term president, Dwight D. Eisenhower while organizing baseball and football Chief of Staff Gen. George Marshall. But had helped lead America’s transforma- games during high school. At West when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor tion into a superpower on a permanent Point, a knee injury ended his career as on December 7, 1941, Eisenhower was war footing. America had entered a new a football player, but he quickly became 51 years old and had never seen battle. age on Eisenhower’s watch—the nation a coach. Coaching brought out the best Once war was declared, however, was prosperous beyond belief but sat on of him: his organizational ability, his Eisenhower’s rise was swift. Marshall the edge of nuclear conflict. enthusiasm that roused his players to and President Franklin D. Roosevelt saw victory. During World War II, his how essential Eisenhower’s diplomatic LITTLE IKE approach as a commander would skills would be in holding together the He was born in 1890 in Denison, Texas, remind some of a good football coach. fractious allies. but spent his formative years, until he Eisenhower graduated from In 1942, Marshall sent Eisenhower shipped out to West Point, living in West Point in 1915 but was not sent to to London as chief of the European Abilene, Kansas. One of six brothers, he Europe to fight in World War I. Instead, theater of operations. There, his straight was early on given the nickname “Little he put his coaching skills to work talk and good humor engaged the Ike”—“Big Ike” was big brother Edgar. training troops. British people and the American press, The boys rolled and tumbled, fought After the Armistice, Eisenhower who turned Ike, as the public now called and played sports. Parents David and remained in the peacetime army. As the him, into a celebrity. He became the

PULLING RANK: EISENHOWER’S MILITARY ASCENDANCY

July 1, 1916: First Lieutenant, July 2, 1920: Major, Regular Army July 7, 1942: Lieutenant General, U.S. Army Army of the U.S. July 1, 1936: Lieutenant Colonel, May 15, 1917: Captain, U.S. Army Regular Army February 11, 1943: General, Army of the U.S. June 17, 1918: Major, National Army March 11, 1941: Colonel, Regular Army December 20, 1944: General of the October 14, 1918: Lieutenant Army, Army of the U.S. Colonel, National Army September 29, 1941: Brigadier General, Army of the U.S. April 11, 1946: General of the Army June 30, 1920: Captain, Regular rank made permanent in the Army (reverted to peacetime rank) March 27, 1942: Major General, Regular Army NI Syndication/Newscom Army of the U.S.

20 BOSS 4 fa ll/w i nte r 2014 ORDER OF THE DAY: JUNE 6,1944 “Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!” “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an over- everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and whelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory! the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in “I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and a free world. skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! “Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, “Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon well equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely. this great and noble undertaking.” “But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940–41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the —Dwight D. Eisenhower

unpretentious incarnation of American By then, many perceived a looming So it was as a Republican that can-do spirit. Soviet threat to Europe and argued that Eisenhower made his candidacy, first for It was Eisenhower’s first command the defeated German military should be the Republican nomination against and when the Allies decided their co-opted as a new ally. But Eisenhower, party leader Sen. Robert Taft of Ohio offense would be to expel the Germans who had spent the war holding the and later against Democrat Adlai from North Africa, he proved to be a alliance together, had faith in U.S.-Soviet Stevenson in the general election. When cautious leader. His caution led to delays relations and would not double-cross the ballots were counted, the most and missed opportunities, even though the Russians. trusted man in the country and most his superiors urged him to be bolder. famous American in the world had been elected president. His first test was ending the unpopular . The war had SO GREAT WAS EISENHOWER’S POPULARITY THAT begun in 1950 when North Korea REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ALIKE SOUGHT HIM invaded the South. The United Nations AS THEIR CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. adopted an American resolution committing to the defense of South Korea. The war was a stalemate when Eisenhower learned from his THE INDISPENSABLE MAN Eisenhower became president in 1953. freshman error. And the next year Eisenhower, then, was present at the He took advantage of a diplomatic he was made a four-star general, as the birth of the , as Germany was Allies turned toward reconquering divided by the Allies and Berlin found President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife, Europe. The battle for Sicily began itself surrounded by Soviet occupation. , hold up a copy of the New on July 10, 1943, with the largest York Daily News headlining Eisenhower’s After being elected 34th president in presidential victory, November 5, 1952. amphibious assault ever attempted, 1952, he spent eight years trying to and saw a race across the island keep hostilities from breaking into between rival generals, American nuclear war. George S. Patton and British Bernard Like his presidential predecessors Montgomery. While these battles are Washington and Grant, Eisenhower often seen as strategic failures, they did was a war hero who seemed the give the Allies, including Eisenhower, indispensable man to lead the country. valuable experience for the next phase So great was his popularity that of the war—the 1944 D-Day landing in Republicans and Democrats alike northern Europe. sought him as their candidate. “His When victory came, almost a year political views, unexceptional and later, Eisenhower’s reputation as a hero shared by millions of American voters, was sealed. With Hitler dead, the were quintessentially Republican, Germans surrendered on May 7, 1945. Midwestern, middle-of-the-road, After the ceremony, the victorious patriotic,” writes Tom Wicker in his officers were too exhausted to celebrate. biography Dwight D. Eisenhower. Collection CSU Archives/Everett

www.dixonva lve.co m fa ll/w i nte r 2014 4 BOSS 21 government would have to make hard EISENHOWER’S RIBBONS OF ROAD choices. The question Eisenhower continued to pose about defense spending was clear and practical: The Interstate Highway System, that web of How much is enough?” limited-access high-speed roads, has a first name: Through the tense 1950s, Eisenhower. It was President Eisenhower who Eisenhower kept the country out of signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, and nuclear and conventional war. He didn’t he considered it one of his greatest allow the U.S. to be drawn into the Suez accomplishments in office. Crisis of 1956, and he forced Britain, Eisenhower had been thinking about the 95 France and Israel to back down from national importance of good roads since his early their takeover of the Suez Canal. He did soldiering days. In 1919, as a young lieutenant colonel, land Marines in Lebanon briefly to he joined a convoy that was road testing Army vehicles by riding them from reassure Western allies in the region. Washington, D.C., to San Francisco to see what it would take to move the army While Eisenhower’s caution across country. They made their transcontinental journey at an average speed kept the country out of war, his of 6 miles per hour. During 62 days there were numerous crashes and reticence on the domestic front breakdowns. Vehicles got stuck in mud and sand and crashed through prompted criticism. He tolerated the wooden bridges. demagoguery of Wisconsin Sen. Joseph “The old convoy had started me thinking about good, two-lane highways,” McCarthy and his crusade to expose he wrote years later, “but Germany had made me see the wisdom of broader Communists in the government and ribbons across the land.” the entertainment industry. In Germany, as Supreme Allied Commander during World War II, And when in 1954, the Supreme Eisenhower saw the advanced design of the autobahns, which allowed the Court issued its unanimous Brown v. Nazi army to move quickly through Germany. Board of Education decision, which As president, Eisenhower championed the idea of an interstate struck down the segregation of black highway system. In his State of the Union Address in 1954, Eisenhower told and white children in separate schools, the nation that it was important to “protect the vital interest of every citizen Eisenhower was lukewarm. Privately he in a safe and adequate highway system.” Congress acted quickly and passed disagreed with the court. Publicly he the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1954, which allotted $175 million for the would go only so far as to say that he interstate system. would “obey” the law of the land. During the next two years, Congress debated and voted on various While he had his detractors, highway bills. In his 1956 State of the Union, Eisenhower again called for Eisenhower would go down in history a “modern, interstate highway system.” as being an enormously popular In June, Eisenhower was being treated for ileitis at Walter Reed Army president, with his public approval Hospital when aides brought in a stack of bills for his signature. One of them rating during his time in office was the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. It called for a 41,000-mile network of averaging 65 percent. interstate highways and allocated $26 billion to pay for them. The system was As he prepared to leave office extended to about 48,000 miles, and the cost has been estimated at $425 in 1961, 10 years before his death, billion in 2006 dollars. Eisenhower offered some truths that The interstate highway system was one of the elements that unify the may have been forgotten in the years United States, Eisenhower believed. “Without them,” he said in 1955, “we since: that an active citizenry is would be a mere alliance of many separate parts.” necessary to preserve its freedom and prosperity, and that every bill rung up needs to be paid. opening from the Communist Chinese, thought that the strength of the country “Every gun that is made, every North Korea’s patrons, and over the didn’t come merely from its weaponry. warship launched, every rocket fired, objections of the dictator of South Korea “Throughout his presidency, signifies in the final sense, a theft,” he pushed forward an armistice. It has Eisenhower continually connected the said. “The cost of one modern, heavy held until today. country’s security to its economic bomber is this: a modern, brick school Eisenhower’s economics were strength, underscoring that our fiscal in more than 30 cities.” straightforward. He balanced the U.S. health and our military might are equal budget for two years out of his eight pillars of our national defense,” his and proposed cuts to the defense budget. granddaughter wrote He believed in a strong defense but in 2011. “This meant that a responsible

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