Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: HERO (10/01/20)
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TITLE: A Great American | Previous Challenge Entry
By Dolores Stohler
10/07/20 -
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I have always been a fan of “Ike”. When I first became eligible to vote back in 1954, I was proud to cast my vote for the great general. He is considered the most popular president in American history and, I believe, more for his personality than for his brilliant military career. His grandchildren attest to the fact of his genuine humility. He was never one to claim credit for his successes and he was quick to admit his faults and failures. Here is a quote from his notes on the battle at Cherbourg:
“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”
I saw in his writing, his speeches and the friendly, but highly self-confident way he conducted himself, a man of Godly Christian character who commanded respect from almost everyone he met. His frowns were many as he bent to the task at hand, but his broad smiles were always there for the many who served under his chain of command. The American people simply adored this man (I for one) and he had very few enemies. One of his most endearing qualities is the fact that he never said a mean or derogatory word about anyone but always encouraged those who were less confident. He inspired courage and devotion in others, always the mark of a great man. His Guildhall Address in London at the close of the war in Europe says it all. Here is an excerpt:
“The only attitude in which a commander may with satisfaction receive the tributes of his friends is a humble acknowledgment that, no matter how unworthy he may be, his position is a symbol of great human forces that have labored arduously and successfully for a righteous cause. Unless he feels this symbolism and this rightness in what he has tried to do, then he is disregardful of the courage, the fortitude and the devotion of the vast multitudes he has been honored to command. If all the allied men and women that have served with me in this war can only know that it is they this august body is really honoring today, then, indeed, will I be content.”
Would D-day have happened without his military expertise? That we will never know but none can dispute that Ike was a brilliant five-star general who put an end to Hitler's tyranny and restored peace to Europe. As president he built the interstate highway system, launched our first satellite into space and put an end to the war in Korea. Peace was always his goal and he grieved over the cold war with Russia. He easily won a second term in office.
And now we have a monument to this great man in our nation's capital. He has joined the company of Lincoln and Washington and it is a well-deserved honor indeed. But he would never acknowledge that himself.
“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold...by humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor in life.” (Proverbs 22:1,4)
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