Athletes - Dwight D. Eisenhower

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	Athletes - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight David Eisenhower, GCB, (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969, popularly known as "Ike") was an American soldier and politician. As a Republican he was elected the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961). During World War II he served as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe with the rank of General of the Army, and in 1949 became the first Supreme Commander of NATO.

Early life and family

Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas, the third of seven sons born to David Jacob Eisenhower and Ida Elizabeth Stover, and their only child born in Texas. He was named David Dwight, and was called Dwight. The Eisenhower family is from German descent and came from Forbach, Lorraine, but had lived in America since the 18th century. The family moved back to Abilene, Kansas in 1892. Eisenhower graduated from Abilene High School in 1909.

Eisenhower married Mamie Geneva Doud (1896–1979), of Denver, Colorado, on July 1, 1916. They had two children, Doud Dwight Eisenhower (1917–1921) whose tragic death in childhood haunted the couple, and John Sheldon David Doud Eisenhower (born 1922). John Eisenhower served in the United States Army, then became an author and served as U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. John's son, David Eisenhower, after whom Camp David is named, married Richard Nixon's daughter Julie in 1968.

Religion

When Ike was five years old, his parents became followers of the WatchTower Society, whose members later took the name Jehovah's Witnesses. The Eisenhower home served as the local meeting Hall from 1896 to 1915. Ike and his brothers also stopped associating regularly after 1915, but Ike's mother continued as an active member until her death. Ike enjoyed a close relationship with his mother throughout her lifetime. In later years, Eisenhower became a communicant in the Presbyterian church in 1953; in his retirement years, he was a member of the Gettysburg Presbyterian Church in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Military career

Preparing for Command

Eisenhower enrolled at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, in June, 1911.

Eisenhower was a great athlete at the time but his football career came to an end after he injured his knee trying to tackle the legendary Jim Thorpe.

In a 1961 speech, Eisenhower recalled, "Here and there, there are some people who are supremely endowed... My memory goes back to Jim Thorpe. He never practiced in his life, and he could do anything better than any other football player I ever saw."

Eisenhower graduated in 1915. He served with the infantry until 1918 at various camps in Texas and Georgia. During World War I, Eisenhower was active in the tank corps and rose to Lieutenant Colonel in the National Army. Upon the conclusion of hostilities, Eisenhower reverted to his regular rank of Captain (and was promoted to Major the next day) before assuming duties at Camp Meade, Maryland where he remained until 1922.

He was next assigned as executive officer to General Fox Conner in the Panama Canal Zone, where he served until 1924, studying Karl von Clausewitz's On War under Conner's tutelage. In 1925 and 1926 he attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and then served as a battalion commander, at Fort Benning, Georgia, until 1927.

During the late 1920s and early 1930s Eisenhower's career in the peacetime Army stagnated. He was assigned to the American Battle Monuments Commission, directed by General John J. Pershing, then to the Army War College, and then served as executive officer to General George V. Moseley, Assistant Secretary of War, from 1929 to 1933. He then served as chief military aide to General Douglas MacArthur, Army Chief of Staff, until 1935, when he accompanied MacArthur to the Philippines, where he served as assistant military advisor to the Philippine government. This would prove valuable preparation for handling the giant egos of Churchill, Patton and Montgomery during World War Two. Eisenhower was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1936 after sixteen years as a Major.

Eisenhower returned to the U.S. in 1939 and held a series of staff positions in Washington, D.C., California, and Texas. In June 1941 he was appointed Chief of Staff to General Walter Krueger, Commander of the 3rd Army, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He was promoted to Brigadier-General in September 1941. Although his administrative abilities had been noticed, on the eve of the U.S. entry into World War II he had never held an active command and was far from being considered as a potential commander of major operations.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Eisenhower was assigned to the General Staff in Washington, where he served until June 1942. He was appointed Deputy Chief in charge of Pacific Defenses under the Chief of War Plans Division, General Leonard Gerow, and then succeeded Gerow as Chief of the War Plans Division. Then he was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff in charge of Operations Division under the 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 organizational and administrative abilities.

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Athletes - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Early life and family

Religion

Military career

Preparing for Command

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