Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 104 Part 6.djvu/1025

 PROCLAMATION 6199—OCT. 10, 1990 104 STAT. 5415 Proclamation 6199 of October 10, 1990 Dwight D. Eisenhower Day, 1990 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation October 14, 1990, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dwight David Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, the commander of AlUed Forces in Europe during World War II, and one of this country's most distinguished statesmen and public servants. A small-town boy who proudly came from "the heart of America," Dwight Eisenhower earned a special place of honor in our history through his courageous and determined efforts to defend the universal cause of freedom. He also set a standard of leadership that other military professionals and elected officials have since strived to emulate. Dwight Eisenhower's career began in our Nation's military. He graduated from the United States Mihtary Academy at West Point in 1915, and later ranked first in his class at the Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. As a staff officer, he served the Generals Fox Conner, John Pershing, Douglas MacArthur, and George Marshall. During World War II, after serving as Chief of the War Plans Division of the War Department, Eisenhower was entrusted with the command of the AUied Forces landing in North Africa in 1942. At the end of 1943, he was named Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe. His leadership and example in that post animated the most successful wartime coalition in history and paved the way for an unprecedented military feat: the successful invasion of Normandy by land, sea, and air on June 6, 1944. In June 1945, one month after accepting the unconditional German surrender, Dwight Eisenhower returned home to a hero's welcome. For 3 years after his return to the United States, General Eisenhower served as Army Chief of Staff. He then devoted his talent and energy to education, becoming President of Columbia University in June 1948. By December 1950, however, duty called again, and Eisenhower took leave from his academic post to become Supreme Allied Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Organizing the defense forces of NATO member nations, he helped to lay a strong foundation for the Alliance. In 1952, upon accepting the Republican nomination for the Presidency and after more than 3 decades of distinguished service, Ike resigned from the military. During his two terms as President, Dwight Eisenhower ably handled the tensions and uncertainties of the postwar era and administered policies leading to unprecedented growth and prosperity here at home. Crises in Suez, Berlin, and Lebanon tested his remarkable leadership abilities; yet, in each case, Eisenhower responded with characteristic courage and resolve. On the domestic front, Ike not only met challenges such as those of 1957 in Little Rock, Arkansas, but also helped to launch the Nation's civil space program and the Interstate Highway System. He also helped to balance the Nation's budget—three times. 39-194O-91-33:QL3Part6

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