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Dwight Eisenhower

Dwight David Eisenhower was born October 14, 1890 in Denison, Texas. In 1892 the family moved to Abilene, Kansas, where he graduated from Abilene High School in 1909.

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Lots Of Staff, But No Command Experience

In June 1911 Dwight Eisenhower enrolled at the United States Military Academy, West Point, where he graduated in 1915. During World War I he trained tank crews in Pennsylvania but never saw combat.

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Eisenhower's career in the peacetime Army stagnated. But, he did serve as chief military aide to General Douglas MacArthur, Army Chief of Staff. In 1935 Eisenhower accompanied MacArthur to the Philippines and served as assistant military advisor to the Philippine government. This assignment would prove valuable preparation for handling the egos of heads of state Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt ... and Generals Patton and Montgomery during World War II.

Eisenhower returned to the U.S. in 1939, holding a series of staff positions in Washington, D.C., California, and Texas. Although his administrative abilities had been noticed, having never held an active command, on the eve of the U.S. entry into World War II he was far from being considered as a potential commander of major operations.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dwight Eisenhower was assigned to the General Staff in Washington, where he served until June 1942 with responsibility for creating the major war plans to defeat Japan and Germany. Among his assignments, he was Assistant Chief of Staff in charge of Operations Division under Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall. It was his close association with Marshall which finally brought Eisenhower to senior command positions. Marshall recognized his great planning, organizational and administrative abilities.

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Exceptional Planning, Execution & People Skills

In December 1943, Dwight Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, charged with planning and carrying out the Allied assault on the coast of France in June 1944, the liberation of western Europe from Nazi occupation, and the invasion and defeat of Germany.

In planning the invasion, he worked closely with a Planning Commission that included American and British Generals, Admirals, and Air Chief’s … (as pictured here) Bradley, Ramsay, Tedder, Eisenhower (the senior commander), Montgomery, Mallory, and Smith.

Because existing port facilities in France were heavily defended and impossible to seize quickly, Eisenhower and the Commission decided to cross the notoriously choppy English Channel (with tides rising 21 feet twice a day) and land on the coast of Normandy, France. Once secured, the Allies would then construct artificial harbors from which to launch the wider European campaign.

In his communiqué just prior to D-Day to all of the soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force, General Eisenhower wrote:

”You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. But, I have full confidence in your devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking."

By May 1944, the date for the invasion (known as D-Day) was set for June 5. But, heavy rains and fog prevented the landing that night , and the forward elements of the invasion force were called back. Eisenhower had a tough decision to make. He could order the invasion for June 6, possibly risking worse weather, or wait for the next optimal time two weeks later when the moon was full and the tides were low enough. Eisenhower polled his staff. Montgomery said, “Go! Go!” After taking a short walk with a reporter, he returned and ordered the largest amphibious operation in history to begin.

Talents For Leadership & Diplomacy

yield Great Respect

In this and other high commands, General Dwight Eisenhower (shown here the day in December 1943 when he assumed command of the Allied Forces in Europe) showed great talents for leadership and diplomacy. Although he never saw action himself, he won the respect of front-line commanders.

Eisenhower was offered the Medal of Honor for his leadership in the European Theater but refused it, saying that it should be reserved for bravery and valor.

Following the war, Dwight Eisenhower served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, first Supreme NATO Commander, the president of Columbia University, and two terms as the 34th President of the United States.