I Like Ike - 34th President - 1953-1961

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Commander in Chief of Allied Forces, Europe

Commanded the North African Campaign, Med Campaign, D Day Campaign, Invasion of Germany

Ike followed Truman as prez.

One of the best presidents in US history, to my way of thinking.  He got a truce in Korea, settled relations with the USSR (Stalin died while Ike was in office) during his presidency, though they heated up when Kennedy came into office.

During his administration the Russkies agreed to 'free' Austria, neutralize it, which was unprecedented and unanteceded, for that matter. 

Ike sent troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce de-segregation of the schools... ended up with a standoff, near shooting war between the Arkansas National Guard and the US Army.  I'd give him high marks for commitment, but mixed reviews on the near shootout.  Those were crazy times... Arkansawyer adults lined up around the school, a group of adult females who called themselves the 'cheerleaders', screaming insults at a couple of scared black kids escorted to school by US Marshalls.  Weird, tough times testifying we weren't a lot better as a species then, than now.  Some, but not a lot.

Eisenhower was determined to see world peace.  He began the 'atoms for peace' program, which furnished uranium for peaceful purposes to friendly and third world countries for powerplant development.

Ike's last moments in office, his farewell speech is posted elsewhere on this blog, but to summarize it, he warned Americans to beware the Military/Industrial Complex, which he believed would try to keep America in a state of war and near-war as long as possible, to further their own financial interests and ambitions.

Which was obvious good advice not taken.. 

Great prez, even though he had Tricky Dixon for VP, and his son married Tricky's daughter.

Jack

 

 

 

Entry #279

Comments

Avatar Rip Snorter -
#1
In a few days I'll give you John F. Kennedy. Even though the competition's strong JFK is a front-runner for the worst US President who probably only failed at achieving that honor by being assassinated. I'll be telling you the side of JFK the legend forgot.
Jack
Avatar JAP69 -
#2
Ike was the first prez that I remember as a kid.
Ike sure liked golfing as I remember.
Kennedy was the prez I served under in the military. I got my tour of duty extended in usareur during the cuban missile crisis.
Avatar Rip Snorter -
#3
Hi Jap69:
Thanks for the comment. Yep, he was a golfer prez. But a good'un.
That Cuban Crisis was a hair raiser. I was Regular Army then. I suppose there were a lot of us sweating that one out, though the whole country, in and out of uniform was doing some puckering.

We lucked out on that one.... a nuclear exchange with the Russkies that time of our lives would probably have messed up the whole day.

Jack
Avatar JAP69 -
#4
Yep I know.
I was in the artillery with nuclear capacity. 280MM cannon
Avatar Rip Snorter -
#5
Jap69:
That sounds a lot like a piece you'd want to wear some earplugs while you're doing your target shooting. Never heard of it, but offhand it sounds about the size of a 16 inch battleship gun. Nobody was lugging those rounds on his back, most likely. Maybe 1500 pounds?

I wasn't aware we had mobile guns that size, but I'm impressed. Just feeding the round and seating it must have been an exercize in ingenuity.

Interesting. Thanks for the comment.
Jack

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