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General
Dwight D.
Eisenhower: The Military Career
- Entered the United
States Military Academy at West Point on July 1, 1911, and was graduated
June 12, 1915
- Commissioned a
second lieutenant of Infantry and assigned to the 19th Infantry at Ft.
Sam Houston, Texas, on September 13, 1915, and served there until May
28, 1917*
- Served with the
57th Infantry at Leon Springs, Texas, until September 18, 1917
- Instructor at the
Officers' Training Camp at Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia, until December 12,
1917
- Instructor , Army
Service Schools, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, until February 28, 1918
- Organized the 65th
Battalion Engineers at Ft. Meade, Maryland, March 1-18, 1918
- Commanded Camp
Colt, Pennsylvania, from March 24 to November 18, 1918, a tank training
center where he received the Distinguished Service Medal
- Commanded the Tank
Corps troops at Camp Dix, New Jersey, until December 22, 1918
- Commanded the Tank
Corps troops at Ft. Benning, Georgia, until March 15, 1919
- Served as Executive
Officer and commander of various tank battalions at Ft. Meade, Maryland,
until January 7, 1922, and graduated from the Infantry Tank School
- Served as Executive
Officer, Camp Gaillard, Panama Canal Zone, until September 19, 1924
- Assigned as Recreation
Officer at Headquarters of the Third Corps Area, Baltimore, Maryland,
until December 15, 1924
- Served as Recruiting
Officer, Ft. Logan, Colorado, until August 19, 1925
- Entered the Command
and General Staff School, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1925, graduating
first in his class of 245 in June of 1926
- On August 15, 1926,
joined the 24th Infantry at Ft. Benning, Georgia
- On January 15,
1927, transferred to Washington, D.C. for service with the American
Battle Monuments Commission, where he remained until August 15, 1927
- Graduated from
the Army War College on June 30, 1928
- Returned to duty
with the American Battle Monuments Commission in Paris until 1929
- Assistant Executive
in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War from November 8, 1929,
until February 20, 1933, during which time he graduated from the Army
Industrial College
- Served in the Office
of the Army Chief of Staff, General Douglas MacArthur until September
24, 1935
- Accompanied MacArthur,
Military Advisor, Commonwealth of the Philippine Islands, as his special
assistant in September 1935 until the end of December, 1939
- Joined the 15th
Infantry at Ft. Ord, California, in February 1940, and accompanied this
regiment to Ft. Lewis, Washington, a few weeks later
- On November 30,
1940, assigned as Chief of Staff of the 3rd Division at Ft. Lewis
- Assigned as Chief
of Staff of the Third Army, San Antonio, Texas, on June 24, 1941, and
named Deputy Chief on December 14, 1941
- Appointed Chief
of the War Plans Division, War Department General Staff, on February
16, 1942
- Designated as Assistant
Chief of Staff in charge of the Operations Division, Office of the Chief
of Staff, April 2, 1942
- Designated Commanding
General, European Theater, with headquarters in London, England, on
June 25, 1942
- Commanded American
forces landing in North Africa on November 8, 1942, and became Commander-in-Chief
of Allied Forces in North Africa that same month.
- Named Supreme Commander,
Allied Expeditionary Forces, in December, 1943
- Commanded the land,
sea, and air forces for the Normandy invasion, D-Day, June 6, 1944
- Established his
advance command post in France on August 9, 1944
- Reported the destruction
of German forces in Northeastern France on August 25, 1944
- Supreme Headquarters
of the Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) moved to Versailles, France,
where he continued to direct operations until April, 1945, when an advance
command post was set up at Rheims, France
- Oversaw the unconditional
surrender of the German High Command which ended the war in Europe on
May 8, 1945
- Shortly after the
surrender, appointed Military Governor of the United States Occupied
Zone in Germany with headquarters at Frankfurt, Germany
- Served as Army
Chief of Staff, from November 19, 1945 until 1948
- Became President
of Columbia University on June 7, 1948
- On leave from Columbia
University, appointed the first Supreme Allied Commander of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in December 1950
- Retired from active
service on May 31, 1952, and resigned his commission in July, 1952
- Returned to the
active list of the Regular Army in the grade of General of the Army
with rank from December 1944, by Public Law 87-3, signed by President
John F. Kennedy on March 22, 1961
* with the exception
of short period when Eisenhower was on detached service with the National
Guard of Illinois at Camp Wilson, Texas, and as Assistant Mustering
Officer, Southern Department, Camp Wilson.
Dwight D. Eisenhower: History of Military Promotions
- June 12, 1915-Second
Lieutenant
- July 1, 1916-First
Lieutenant
- July 18, 1918-Major
(temporary-World War I)
- October 14, 1918-Lieutenant
Colonel (temporary-World War I)
- July 1, 1936-Lieutenant
Colonel
- October 3, 1941-Brigadier
General (1 Star)
- March 28, 1942-Major
General (2 Stars)
- July 9, 1942-Lieutenant
General (3 Stars)
- February 11, 1943-General
(4 Stars)
- December 20, 1944-General
of the Army (5 Stars)
Note: During World
War I, the Army officer corps expanded. After the armistice was signed,
a rapid demobilization reduced the size of the officer corps, and many
officers reverted back to their previous rank.
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