Ike climbed into his staff car. War was hard and brutal. He consoled himself with the fact that he’d done everything to ensure the greatest gains for the Allies while costing the fewest lives. What had to be done, had to be done, and these men, Ike was sure, would live in his memory forever. They would always be the true heroes of the war.

Born in Denison, Texas, Dwight David Eisenhower grew up poor in Abilene, Kansas. After graduating from the US Military Academy at West Point, Ike entered army service, commanding tank training in WWI and afterward, serving in Central America, Europe, and the Philippines.

During WWII Ike directed US forces in Europe, eventually becoming supreme commander of Allied forces and leading the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. A lifetime of service, sacrifice, and humility shone brightly on the world stage for the brilliant general who would become the thirty-fourth president of the United States (1890-1969).