Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower was one of the greatest men in American history. A true American man who was a real leader at heart, led our great nation to many victories as well as two terms as President. Eisenhower knew that the only way to truly lead, was to first serve. As General commander of the American forces, he showed that his service was widely apparent and this led to his pure leadership. Dwight D. Eisenhower was one of America's greatest leaders.
David Dwight Eisenhower was born on October 14, 1890, in Texas. "He was the third of seven sons born to David Jacob Eisenhower and Ida Elizabeth Stover, of German, English and Swiss ancestry." Dwight was raised under Presbyterian church leadership by his parents. They are described as strict but fair. He attended Abilene High School in Abilene, Kansas, and attended the Naval Academy. Before entering, however, Dwight worked for two years as a night foreman at the Belle Springs Creamery. This he did to support his brother Edgar's education wishes. After these two years, Eisenhower wanted to join the Naval Academy. He passed the entrance exam with flying colors, but was beyond the age eligibility to enter the academy. With great disappointment, Dwight then decided that he would try his luck at the military academy at West Point. He was accepted and graduated at the upper echelon of his class. He graduated in 1915, in, "the class the stars fell on." It was given this name because 59 of the classmates became general officers later in life. As an addition to all of this, Dwight also had an astounding athletic career. As a baseball player, golfer, boxer, and a football player, he was an obvious star. He played football as a running back and linebacker at West Point. He also plyed golf at the prestigioous Augusta National golf club in his later years.
Eisenhower's military career is also quite impressive. his early career he never saw combat. But soon he began to talk with General George S. Patton and became interested in tank warfare. This is what finally led him to the battlefield. His normal rank was the Captain position but he eventually rose to a major. He then served as betallion commander from 1924 until 1927. in 1936, he was promoted to permanent lieutenant colonel after 16 years as a major. He also learned to fly, but was never used as a pilot. Later, Eisenhower joined the forces to assist in World War II. In 1944, he was appointed General of the army. "In this and the previous high commands he held, Eisenhower showed his great talents for leadership and diplomacy. Although he had never seen action himself, he won the respect of front-line commanders. He dealt skillfully with difficult subordinates such as Patton, and allies such as Winston Churchill, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and General Charles de Gaulle. He had fundamental disagreements with Churchill and Montgomery over questions of strategy, but these rarely upset his relationships with them. He negotiated with Soviet Marshal Zhukov, and such was the confidence that President Franklin D. Roosevelt had in him, he sometimes worked directly with Stalin, much to the chagrin of the British High Command who disliked being bypassed." This man showed his great ability to be led and thus take the lead over and over again in this war, and he was rewared accordingly. His story is a model that serves to support the concept that hard work and discipline truly does pay off.
In November of 1945, Dwight returned to take over as Chief of Staff. His main job was to demobilize millions of soldiers an find them jobs, which would turn out to be a very slow process. Later, he introduced the "Eisenhower Doctrine." "In relation to the Middle East, the U.S. would be "prepared to use armed force...[to counter] aggression from any country controlled by international communism." The Eisenhower Doctrine of 1957 declared that the United States would distribute economic and military aid and, if necessary, use military force to stop the spread of communism in the Middle East." This doctrine played out in the United States sending aid to the Kingdom of Jordan to supress a upheaval that had risen up. These kinds of things were at the heart of the Eisenhower Doctrine.
Finally, Eisenhower's most important trait that led to him being the incredible leader that he was. His desire and discipline to serve and compete with his fellow soldiers are what allowed them to trust him in times of despair. His leaderhsip led them out of trouble and this only occured because they were comfortanle to trust him because of his leadership. "Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based on the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone." Those last words are the heart of this great man. Responsibility, discipline, and hard work.

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