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Jane Doe

Professor Crawford

English 101

08 December 2017

Eisenhower: An American Hero

One of the most well-known American heroes of World War II was Dwight D.

Eisenhower. He was a brilliant general and diplomat, possessing enough tact to keep the Allies

united and ultimately win World War II. He also served as President of the United States,

bringing peace to the nation. His autobiography was a best seller, partly because of his good

writing skills. No one is perfect, and he was no exception, but Eisenhower served his country

with everything he had, and America would not be the same without him. Eisenhower is

remembered as an important figure in U.S. history because of his military career, presidency, and

writing.

First, Eisenhower had a very long and successful military career. According to historian

Stephen Ambrose, "He was the most successful general of the greatest war ever fought" (p ar 45).

Despite having never experienced combat, he was named Supreme Allied Commander in 1942.

He was known for being a great diplomat, a trait that served him well as he had to negotiate a

successful working relationship with generals from many different countries with many different

personalities. Ultimately, every campaign he was in charge of was a success. The war was won,

and a part of that is due to Eisenhower's military career and leadership.

Secondly, Dwight D. Eisenhower was a great president. In 1953, he was inaugurated as

the 34th President of the United States. He was good at nearly everything he undertook, and

being president was no different. For example, "Eisenhower was able to inspire considerable

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trust and confidence, and to help stabilize and calm the country" (Gilbert 1). He accomplished

many important things during his term, such as balancing the budget, keeping the country out of

war, and enacting legislation for interstate highways. His presidency went so well he was elected

to serve a second term despite worsening health. Eisenhower is well remembered as a president,

and justly so.

Lastly, Eisenhower was a good writer. He was known as being very good at writing

reports during his Army days, and he graduated first in his class from the prestigious Army War

College. He ghostwrote a booklet on battle monuments that had General Pershing’s name as the

author. Eisenhower retired from the U.S. Army in 1948 to focus on writing. Soon the memoir he

had written, Crusade in Europe, about his time as Supreme Allied Commander, became a

bestseller (Boyle 12). The book is a fascinating look into the mind of the man who made some

very important decisions during World War II.

For all of these reasons, Dwight D. Eisenhower deserves to be remembered as an

American hero and an important historical figure. He was a general, president, and writer.

Granted, the United States has had a plethora of writers, many generals, and a handful of

presidents, but Eisenhower is one of the rare ones who encompassed all three roles. It would be

hard to find a person with even a passing knowledge of U.S. history who had not at heard of his

name and the impact he had on this country. Eisenhower was a humble hero, and he is an

inspiration to patriotic Americans everywhere.

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Works Cited

Ambrose, Stephen E. "Eisenhower's Generalship." Parameters, vol. 40, no. 4, 2011, pp. 90-98,

ProQuest Central; SciTech Premium Collection, https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/docview/867412831?accountid=8289. Accessed 06DEC2017.

Boyle, P G. Eisenhower, Taylor and Francis, 2004. ProQuest Ebook Central,

https://ebookcentral-proquest-

com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/lib/apus/detail.action?docID=4185965. Accessed 08DEC2017.

Gilbert, Robert E. "Eisenhower's 1955 Heart Attack." Politics & the Life Sciences, vol. 27, no. 1,

Mar. 2008, pp. 2-21. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=34906464&site=ehost-

live&scope=site. Accessed 06DEC2017.