EISENHOWER

           I know I’ve written many times in the past about how much I love to read.  It is very rare for me to not have a book in hand.  Typically, the last 15-30 minutes of my day are in bed, reading.

          I just finished a book that I just have to write about…first, you need to know that I prefer non-fiction books.  Just my thing.  I like history, natural history, biographies, travel, etc.  I do on occasion read fiction, but the book has to be highly recommended by friends who know my preferences. 

Because of my choice of preferred topics, it is very rare for me to cry over a book.  The last time I remember crying was in 2017 as I finished “The Nightengale”.  I was in a secluded location in a lodge I was visiting in Costa Rica, and the ending of that book was so traumatic for me, I just sat there and bawled my eyes out.

Well, guess what, it happened again late yesterday.  And the circumstances are very different from the usual.  By way of explanation, another of my reading journeys is I am reading the biographies of US presidents in chronological order.  No, I do not sit there and read only biographies of presidents.  I read a bio, then read 3-4 other books not a presidential biography, then I go back to the next president on my list. 

Which leads me to the title of this blog.  I just finished Eisenhower’s bio by Jean Edward Smith.  First, if you don’t know him, he is an awesome author.  His books tend to be very long, (Eisenhower was 766 pages with an additional 200+ pages of notes.)  He has also written “FDR”, “Grant” (which I have also read and is also very long), “George Bush’s War”, etc.  you get the picture.  Reading one of his books is not for the faint of heart, but man if you can hang in there, it is well worth the effort.  He really is an excellent author.

Anyway, back to Ike, I was so excited to reach him on my list because he is the first US president I remember as a child seeing on TV.  I was born in 1948 so by the end of his presidency I was 13 years old.  I do remember that everyone seemed to “Like Ike.”

In the book, Smith does not sugar coat Ike’s story.  I view it as honest, straight forward, and very revealing.  He was in no way a perfect, untarnished human being…no matter how much we all “Liked” him.  He made errors as Commander in Chief during WWII; he towed a tough line as President…. but what was remarkable about him, is that he never attempted to blame others, if the responsibility was his, no matter the outcome, he owned it. 

The truly revealing event of his presidency of these characteristics was his handling of the U-2 incident involving Francis Gary Powers.  As a reminder, the US, under Ike’s command, was flying reconnaissance flights over the Soviet Union.  Ike had been assured that the Russians did not have the ability to shoot down one of these planes, and if they did, the pilot could not possibly survive.  That of course, turned out to not be true.  The Soviets did shoot down the plane and Powers did survive.  There was no way to spin the story that did not reveal that the US was spying on the Soviet Union.  Ike did not attempt to avoid responsibility. 

It was the last few pages of this book that brought me to tears.  And I quote his words ….” This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new to the American experience.  The total influence – economic, political, even spiritual – is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government.  In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought by the military-industrial complex.  The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”  Then he went on to say, “The free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research.  Because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. The domination of the nation’s scholars by the power of federal money is a danger to be gravely regarded.”  He finished by saying “America must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.” 

These words were spoken by Eisenhower in his farewell speech to the nation as he left office.

I hope I don’t have to explain my tears.