PRESIDENT DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 01/21/1948 - HFSID 27559

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
Congratulating the Philadelphia Police on their participation in Benjamin Franklin Day ceremonies.
Typed Letter Signed: "Dwight D. Eisenhower" as Five-Star General of the Army, 1p, 7x10. No place, 1948 January 21. To Superintendent Guy Parsons, Philadelphia Police Department. In full: "May I congratulate you and the other members of the Philadelphia City Police for the splendid part you played in the Benjamin Franklin Day ceremonies last Saturday. The police officers were an especially fine-looking group, and I considered the band to be an outstanding one. With appreciation and all good wishes." In World War II, Eisenhower planned and commanded the conquest of Germany from D-Day (June 6, 1944) to VE Day (May 2, 1945). He was promoted to General of the Army in December 1944. Twenty-nine years after his West Point graduation (1915), Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) received his fifth star and the rank of General of the Army (December 20, 1944). Only the year before, he had been appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces (January 1944) and placed in command of the Normandy invasion, "Operation Overlord". An experienced leader, "Ike" had commanded the U.S. Army in Europe from June 1942 to December 1943, during which time he had directed the invasions of North Africa (November 1942) and Sicily (July-August 1943). On May 7, 1945, Eisenhower accepted the unconditional surrender of Germany at Rheims. During his two terms as 34th U.S. President (1953-1961), Eisenhower presented his famous "Atoms for Peace" plan to the United Nations (December 1953), issued the Eisenhower Doctrine, which provided aid to Middle-Eastern countries threatened by Communist aggression (January 1957), and dispatched troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce students' civil rights (September 1957). Eisenhower's rank of Five-Star General of the Army was restored in 1961, two months after his presidential term ended. Lightly creased. Folds, vertical fold touches "D" in Dwight. Staple holes at upper left corner. Shaded edges.