Ike

Dwight D. Eisenhower’s personality and style of operation were particularly well suited to the responsibilities given to him during the war. Once his own course had been decided, Eisenhower expected each subordinate to follow through within his own area of responsibility. Eisenhower’s rapid rise to the top during the war and his ability to gain and hold the confidence of all elements in the tenuous wartime alliance also proved his political skill. Carter L. Burgess, who served as an assistant to General Eisenhower’s aide, General Walter Bedell Smith, recalled hearing Ike dictate a long situation message to General Marshall that, when it emerged from the typewriter, required only limited changes. His facts, too, were neatly arranged in his head and reeled off his tongue effortlessly even without notes. Later, at Columbia, he was again witnessed as speaking best when not burdened with notes.