John Eisenhower
Encyclopedia
John Sheldon Doud Eisenhower (born August 3, 1922) is the son of President Dwight D. Eisenhower
and his wife Mamie. He is a retired United States Army
officer and the author of several books of military history. He served as the U.S. Ambassador
to Belgium
from 1969 to 1971.
to future U.S. President
and World War II
-era United States Army
General of the Army
Dwight D. Eisenhower
and his wife, Mamie
. John Eisenhower was the second child of Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower. Their first son, Doud Dwight, known affectionately as "Icky," died in 1921, at age 3, after contracting scarlet fever. John Eisenhower, like his father, attended the United States Military Academy
, graduating on June 6, 1944, the very day of the epic Normandy landings his father was commanding.
John Eisenhower served in the U.S. Army during World War II
and the Korean War
, remaining on active duty until 1963; then serving in the U.S. Army Reserve until retirement in 1975 — attaining the rank of brigadier general
. A decorated soldier, Eisenhower found his World War II military career thwarted by fears for his safety and concern from the top brass that his death or capture would be a distraction to his father, the Supreme Allied Commander. This issue arose again in 1952 when Major Eisenhower was assigned to fight in a combat unit in Korea while his father ran for President. After a short stint in combat with an infantry battalion, he was reassigned to the safety of division headquarters. In 2008, he wrote about this experience in an opinion piece in the New York Times entitled "Presidential Children Don’t Belong in Battle".
During his father's presidency, John Eisenhower served as Assistant Staff Secretary in the White House
, on the Army's General Staff, and in the White House as assistant to General Andrew Goodpaster
.
, who had been his father's Vice President
, he served as U.S. Ambassador to Belgium
. In 1972, President Nixon appointed Eisenhower Chairman of the Interagency Classification Review Committee
. In 1975, he served President Ford as chairman of the President's Advisory Committee on Refugees.
(b. March 31, 1948, West Point, NY), who married Julie Nixon
, herself a presidential daughter; and three daughters Barbara Anne Eisenhower (b. May 30, 1949, West Point, NY), Susan Eisenhower
(b. December 31, 1951, Fort Knox, KY) and Mary Jean Eisenhower
(b. December 21, 1955, Washington, DC). In 1988, Eisenhower married Joanne Thompson. He lives in Trappe, Maryland
, after moving there from Kimberton, Pennsylvania
.
, Eisenhower became independent and voted for Democrat
John Kerry
in the 2004 Presidential election
, citing Republican incumbent George W. Bush
's management of U.S. foreign policy.
, the -year-old Eisenhower is the oldest living presidential child.
The city of Marshfield, Missouri
chose him as a 2008 honoree of the Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative. His grandson, Merrill Eisenhower Atwater spoke on his behalf at Marshfield's annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The medal recognizes individuals who demonstrate great initiative in their chosen field.
John Eisenhower wrote the foreword to Borrowed Soldiers written by Mitchell Yockelson of the National Archives.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
and his wife Mamie. He is a retired United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
officer and the author of several books of military history. He served as the U.S. Ambassador
Ambassadors from the United States
This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to individual nations of the world, to international organizations, to past nations, and ambassadors-at-large.Ambassadors are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate...
to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
from 1969 to 1971.
Background and military career
John Eisenhower was born on August 3, 1922 in Denver, Denver County, ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
to future U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-era United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
General of the Army
General of the Army
General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nation's Army. It may also be the title given to a General who commands an Army in the field....
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
and his wife, Mamie
Mamie Eisenhower
Mamie Geneva Doud Eisenhower was the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and First Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961.-Early life:...
. John Eisenhower was the second child of Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower. Their first son, Doud Dwight, known affectionately as "Icky," died in 1921, at age 3, after contracting scarlet fever. John Eisenhower, like his father, attended the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
, graduating on June 6, 1944, the very day of the epic Normandy landings his father was commanding.
John Eisenhower served in the U.S. Army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, remaining on active duty until 1963; then serving in the U.S. Army Reserve until retirement in 1975 — attaining the rank of brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
. A decorated soldier, Eisenhower found his World War II military career thwarted by fears for his safety and concern from the top brass that his death or capture would be a distraction to his father, the Supreme Allied Commander. This issue arose again in 1952 when Major Eisenhower was assigned to fight in a combat unit in Korea while his father ran for President. After a short stint in combat with an infantry battalion, he was reassigned to the safety of division headquarters. In 2008, he wrote about this experience in an opinion piece in the New York Times entitled "Presidential Children Don’t Belong in Battle".
During his father's presidency, John Eisenhower served as Assistant Staff Secretary in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, on the Army's General Staff, and in the White House as assistant to General Andrew Goodpaster
Andrew Goodpaster
Andrew Jackson Goodpaster was an American Army General. He served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe from July 1, 1969 and Commander in Chief of the United States European Command from May 5, 1969 until his retirement December 17, 1974...
.
U.S. Ambassador to Belgium
In the administration of President Richard NixonRichard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, who had been his father's Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
, he served as U.S. Ambassador to Belgium
United States Ambassador to Belgium
In 1832, shortly after the creation of the Kingdom of Belgium, the United States established diplomatic relations. Since that time, a long line of distinguished envoys have represented American interests in Belgium. These diplomats included men and women whose career paths would lead them to...
. In 1972, President Nixon appointed Eisenhower Chairman of the Interagency Classification Review Committee
Information Security Oversight Office
The Information Security Oversight Office is responsible to the President for policy and oversight of the government-wide security classification system and the National Industrial Security Program...
. In 1975, he served President Ford as chairman of the President's Advisory Committee on Refugees.
Military / historical expertise
Eisenhower's greatest achievements have come as a military historian. Several of his books have proven popular with readers and reviewers alike. His best-known history, The Bitter Woods, is perhaps the definitive study of the Battle of the Bulge. In a New York Times review of So Far from God (a history of the U.S.-Mexican War), Stephen W. Sears remarked that Eisenhower "writes briskly and authoritatively, and his judgments are worth reading."Personal life
He married Barbara Jean Thompson on June 10, 1947. They divorced in 1986. The Eisenhowers had four children: a son, Dwight David, IIDavid Eisenhower
Dwight David Eisenhower II is an American author, public policy fellow, and eponym of the U.S. Presidential retreat, Camp David. He is the grandson of the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D...
(b. March 31, 1948, West Point, NY), who married Julie Nixon
Julie Nixon Eisenhower
Julie Nixon Eisenhower is the younger daughter of 37th U.S. President Richard M. Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon, and sister to Patricia Nixon Cox....
, herself a presidential daughter; and three daughters Barbara Anne Eisenhower (b. May 30, 1949, West Point, NY), Susan Eisenhower
Susan Eisenhower
Susan Elaine Eisenhower is a consultant, author, and expert on international security and relations between the Russian Federation and the United States of America. She is the daughter of John Eisenhower, and the granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower...
(b. December 31, 1951, Fort Knox, KY) and Mary Jean Eisenhower
Mary Jean Eisenhower
Mary Jean Eisenhower , the granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower, has worked to develop and expand the mission of People to People International [PTPI]. Eisenhower became the Chief Executive Officer of PTPI in January 2000 and its President in 2003. She still holds these titles.-Early life:Mary...
(b. December 21, 1955, Washington, DC). In 1988, Eisenhower married Joanne Thompson. He lives in Trappe, Maryland
Trappe, Maryland
Trappe is a town in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,146 at the 2000 census. The local telephone exchange is 476 and the area code is 410. The zipcode is 21673....
, after moving there from Kimberton, Pennsylvania
Kimberton, Pennsylvania
Kimberton is an unincorporated community in East Pikeland Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The zip code is 19442. Originally settled in the late 18th century, it was not named until 1817. Like many surrounding villages, Kimberton developed around a tavern; in this case, the...
.
Recent events
A life-long RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, Eisenhower became independent and voted for Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
in the 2004 Presidential election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, citing Republican incumbent George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's management of U.S. foreign policy.
, the -year-old Eisenhower is the oldest living presidential child.
The city of Marshfield, Missouri
Marshfield, Missouri
Marshfield is a city in Webster County, Missouri, United States. The population was 6,633 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat and part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
chose him as a 2008 honoree of the Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative. His grandson, Merrill Eisenhower Atwater spoke on his behalf at Marshfield's annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The medal recognizes individuals who demonstrate great initiative in their chosen field.
John Eisenhower wrote the foreword to Borrowed Soldiers written by Mitchell Yockelson of the National Archives.
Books
- The Bitter Woods (1969)
- Strictly Personal (1974)
- Allies, Pearl Harbor to D-Day (1982)
- So Far from God: The U.S. War with Mexico, 1846-1848 (1989)
- Intervention!: The United States Involvement in the Mexican Revolution, 1913-1917 (1993)
- Agent of Destiny: The Life and Times of General Winfield Scott (1997)
- Yanks: The Epic Story of the American Army in World War I (2001)
- General Ike: A Personal Reminiscence (2003)
- Zachary Taylor (2008)