#34. Eisenhower, Dwight David

Linda Lou Burton posting from Little Rock, Arkansas – Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969) was the 34^th President of the United States, from 1953 to 1961. Of all the presidents who ever campaigned for president, and all the names a political party could pick to head their ticket, nobody had a better name to fit onto a campaign button: I LIKE IKE was a made-to-order winner! And then, the guy was a war hero, to boot. Five-Star General. Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces. Who better to lead a country of 160 million that was becoming, or visioning itself as, “the leader of the free world?” Supreme Commander. We know that sometimes, in order to be supreme, little things get rolled over. We know that being supreme, and being likable, are different things. Sometimes we don’t like our presidents and take aim directly (a few assassinations come to mind); sometimes we just stop voting for them, or put them down in history as NGP’s (Not Great Presidents). What did we do with Ike? And how liked was Ike?

Way Way Way Back

The “Eisenhauer” family migrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1741. “Eisenhauer” translates to “iron hewer;” anglicized to the spelling we know today: Eisenhower. Fast forward to October 14, 1890, and Denison, Texas. That’s when Dwight David entered the world, the third of seven sons born to David Jacob and Ida Stover Eisenhower. Ike’s family had specific times for Bible reading, and chores; discipline came from Dad if not met. Father David was a college-educated engineer; but family fortunes went up and down over the years. Mother Ida’s childhood was a series of more downs that ups; reading the Bible was her education. When Ike was born she belonged to Jehovah’s Witnesses and their home was the local meeting hall. Dwight was named “Dwight” after evangelist Dwight L Moody; all the boys– Arthur, Edgar, Dwight, Roy, Paul, Earl, Milton – were nicknamed “Ike” as a shortened version of Eisenhower – Big Ike and Little Ike and so on; the only one still called Ike by World War II was the “Dwight Ike.” Speaking of war, keep this in mind: Mother Ida was a lifelong pacifist, believing that war was wicked. She died in September 1946; Ike was unable to attend her funeral due to war-time duties.

Becoming A Strategist

Along with his gang of brothers Ike grew up hunting, and fishing, but sports – now that was everything. As a freshman playing football, Ike injured his knee; an infection was so bad doctors told him it was life-threatening; the leg must come off. Ike refused. And got well. He graduated Abilene High School in 1909 (the family was in Kansas by then) and worked for a while to earn funds for college. Then someone suggested he apply to the Naval Academy as no tuition was required. Ike conferred with his Senator who advised applying to West Point as well. He passed the entrance exams for both but was told he was too old for the Naval Academy. He went with the second choice: West Point, 1911.

Ike made the varsity football team at West Point and was a starter halfback in 1912; yes, he played against Jim Thorpe in a famous Big Loss for Army game; in the very next game he was tackled in a knee-injuring play; no more football. Except, by doggie, he became the junior varsity coach. His graduation class of 1915 became known as “the class the stars fell on;” 59 members eventually became officers in the US Army; one of them was Dwight David Eisenhower. Ike’s academic record was average; but, in addition to learning military strategy and football strategy at West Point, he learned to play bridge. He was addicted to bridge throughout his military career. While stationed in the Philippines, he played with President Manuel Quezon and gained the reputation Bridge Wizard of Manila. He played in Europe during the stressful days before the D-Day landings. His favorite partner? General Alfred Gruenther, considered the best bridge player in the Army; Ike appointed him as second-in-command at NATO (reputedly) because of his bridge skill. Well then.

Career Army Means Moving Around

Ike’s very first military assignment was Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. During WWI he requested to be sent to Europe but wound up training tank crews. Between wars he held staff positions in the US and the Philippines. By WWII he had attained the rank of Brigadier General; then more promotions. He oversaw the Allied invasions of North Africa and Sicily; he supervised the invasions of France and Germany. He was military governor of the American-occupied zone of Germany in 1945, Army Chief of Staff 1945-1948, and first supreme commander of NATO 1951-1952. (For a blip in there he was president of Columbia University.)

And on a personal level? Way back there in San Antonio, Ike met Mamie Doud; her parents were visiting a friend at Fort Sam Houston. He proposed on Valentine’s Day 1916, they got married July 1 (he was 26, she was 20); Ike was granted 10 days leave for a honeymoon. Mary Geneva “Mamie” Doud was born in Boone, Iowa November 14, 1896, the second of the four girls of John Sheldon and Elivera Carlson Doud. Daddy was rich, and Mama was Swedish, which meant Swedish was often spoken at home, and there were plenty of servants to do everything, so Mamie never learned to “keep house.” That didn’t make for a good start as the wife living on the low pay of a military man. But she was accustomed to one thing – not staying put. Her family traveled a lot, and had a number of homes, she grew up in Iowa, Colorado, Texas. As an Army wife she lived in 33 different homes in 37 years as Ike was stationed at different posts.

Ike and Mamie had two sons; Doud Dwight in 1917; who died of scarlet fever at the age of three; the second son, John Sheldon Doud Eisenhower was born in 1922. Ike was stationed in Panama in 1922; Mamie traveled to Denver for John’s birth; when she returned to Panama she brought a nurse to help care for John. Mamie doted on John; he helped ease some of her depression brought about by her firstborn’s death, and her long separations from Ike. In 1928 Ike was stationed in Paris; in 1929, he was appointed as aide to General Douglas MacArthur. 1935: the Philippines. 1939: Back in the US as WWII began.

It’s Been Good To Know You

During World War II, while promotion and fame came to Ike, Mamie lived in Washington, DC. During the three years Ike was stationed in Europe, she saw him only once. And what about son John; where was he during all of this? John graduated high school in Baguio, Philippines when the family lived there. And decided to follow in Dad’s footsteps – he entered West Point on the eve of the US entry into WWII. His graduation date? Incredibly, it was June 6, 1944, D-Day, the day the Allied forces invaded Normandy. Ike missed John’s graduation. Mamie’s health had never been good – she had rheumatic fever as a child; combine that with loneliness and worry; was her son okay? Her husband safe? And those Kay Summersby rumors? Officially Kay was Ike’s “chauffeur” in London, was there more?

It was 1948 before Ike and Mamie bought the first, and only, home they ever owned. Ike had accepted appointment as President of Columbia University, and the home was a farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. (It’s now the Eisenhower National Historic Site.) Well oops, Ike was made commander of NATO so, back to Europe, hang up that University presidency; hold up on that farm. One good thing for Mamie then – she got to live in Paris, receive royals regularly, and, was even awarded the Cross of Merit for her role in Ike’s military success. Son John, meanwhile, got married, had kids, earned an MA at Columbia in English, and began teaching English at West Point. He, and Dad, and Mom, and War, would cross paths again.

The Next Republican President

Harry S Truman and Dwight David Eisenhower had different opinions about war, and policy, and, well, most things. But they had to work together during those war years. Ike didn’t approve of Harry’s decision to drop the bomb, no sir. He didn’t approve of Franklin’s “New Deal” or Harry’s “Fair Deal.” By 1952, the list of things Ike didn’t like was long, and the after-war upheaval was still stirring up everybody’s guts, so, perfect timing for a War Hero with a different plan. “I Like Ike” buttons sprouted on thousands of lapels, and by January 20, 1953, Ike and Mamie were riding in the presidential limousine on the way to the White House to pick up outgoing Harry and Bess, who invited them in for a cup of coffee before heading to the swearing-in at the capitol. Ike and Mamie wouldn’t get out of the car.

The snit began way back, all those differences of opinion. And then, right after the election but still a few months before the official change of hands, workers showed up at the White House without notice to start re-arranging the White House for the Eisenhowers. They weren’t allowed in. And then, Harry offered to set up a meeting with Ike to begin sharing critical information an incoming president would need to know (remember, he got nothing when he took over presidential duties). Ike declined, meeting with other sources for information. Mamie and Bess fared better, there is a famous photo of the two “Ladies” December 1, 1952, when Mamie accepted Bess’ offer of a tour of the White House. And so it goes.

Who is Happy?

This is complicated. John first. Back when Ike was Supreme Allied Commander, John wasn’t allowed combat duty as it might be a distraction for his Dad. In 1952, while Ike was running for president, John was fighting in a combat unit in Korea. The heart-to-heart father-son talk went like this: if I am elected president, you must never be captured alive. John accepted the fact that he would have to take his own life rather than become an instrument of blackmail; John’s children at the time – David, Ann, and Susan – were 4, 3, and 1. Ouch. John did get to work in the White House later; he was Dad’s Assistant Staff Secretary and on the Army’s General Staff.

Mamie next. For eight straight years Mamie stayed put! She had a White House staff at her disposal; she looked fashionably pretty in pink; and everybody liked her bangs. She was the first First Lady to present a national public image, often entertaining heads of state, the count was over 70 official foreign visitors. She shook hands with thousands of people and readily accommodated photographers, though she maintained her distance from the press. Once John came home from Korea, she had her family near – four grandkids by 1955. John and his wife Barbara even bought property near the Gettysburg farm so they could be close.

John liked Ike, Mamie liked Ike, and the American public continued to be wowed by Ike. He won 531 electoral votes in 1952 and 1956. He won 55% of the popular vote in 1952 and 57.5% in 1956. Could he have won a third term? Speculation is yes; but Ike was the first president to fall under the restrictions of the Two Terms Only 22^nd Amendment, passed in 1951.

Winding Down

Few people were aware of Ike’s major problem: his health. In his entire military career, he never spent a day in combat, but his health brought him to the edge numerous times. Besides that screwed up knee, he had five heart attacks, one stroke, surgery due to Chrohn’s disease, malaria, tuberculosis, high blood pressure, spinal malformation, shingles, neuritis, and bronchitis. Medical records were guarded – neither a Supreme Commander nor a US President dares show any sign of weakness. He died of heart failure March 28, 1969 at the age of 78 in Walter Reed Hospital.

Mamie lived another 10 years after Ike’s death, staying on at the Gettysburg farm. She and Ike had eight years together there after leaving the White House. She died of a stroke at Walter Reed Hospital November 1, 1979 at the age of 83; she and Ike are buried side by side at the Eisenhower National Museum & Library in Abilene, Kansas.

I went to high school, got married, and had kids during Ike’s presidency; the thing I most remember was his role in 1957 when he sent Army troops to enforce federal court orders integrating Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas – I drive by the Memorial to the Little Rock Nine whenever I go downtown today. Both my brothers were in high school when Sputnik was launched; their entire careers were molded by Ike’s creation of NASA and the establishment of a stronger, science-based education via the National Defense Education Act.

Would I invite Ike and Mamie to my party? I don’t think so. I wore the Ike button back then. Ike and Mamie were the residents during my first tourist-visit to the White House in 1953. But it would be stressful to talk about. Too much heartache behind the glory.