War is by far the worst occurrence of all the trials of human history.  No one knows the awfulness of war more than the soldier, and no one wants peace more than the one who has experienced war up close.  There was no soldier more desperate for peace than Dwight D. Eisenhower.  After the Allies emerged victoriously from World War II, General Eisenhower never tired from implementing and advocating peace throughout the world.

“I hate war,” he said, “as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, and its stupidity.”¹

Dwight D. Eisenhower had a genetic love for peace.  His parents, David and Ida Stover Eisenhower, were orphans who had seen enough of the war that had torn apart their families.  Ida’s parents, especially, had died early due to the Civil War.  Both had been ardent pacifists, but living in Virginia in the middle of the fratricidal war made it impossible for them to avoid the conflict.  When Dwight was born in 1890, his family adhered strictly to the Bible and to the hope for a world without war.  Ida, in fact, was saddened that her son chose to attend West Point and embark on a military career.

It was actually a good thing that this son of pacifists was the Supreme Allied Commander during World War II.  His leadership and his ability to keep the peace among the Allied troops in Europe helped rid the world of a crazed despot.  He also understood loss, having lost his firstborn to scarlet fever at age three.  In that depth of understanding, he had compassion for the families of the soldiers who braved the beaches at D-Day, the brutal winter attacks at the Battle of the Bulge, and the crossing of the treacherous Rhine.  He pressed for peace, because he knew it saved lives and enhanced those lives all over the world. 

After World War II – the worst war of modern times – Ike truly became a soldier for peace, and he worked at that goal for the rest of his life.

In a speech in New York City in 1945, Ike said, “Peace is an absolute necessity in this world.  I believe that we should let no specious argument deter us from exploring every direction in which peace can be maintained.” ² 

Soon after the war, other problematic issues arose.  The Soviet Union, whose military had been allowed to march into Berlin in the spring of 1945, wanted territory for communism.  French Indochina and Korea were also on the block for division.  Within a short amount of time, war loomed in Korea and The Cold War emerged.  Joseph Stalin, once an ally, was now a potential enemy.  Both President Truman and General Eisenhower saw the potential for renewed disaster.  Truman made General Eisenhower the Chief of NATO – the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – in an attempt to keep peace and prevent a Soviet overreach.

In January 1951, as the head of NATO, Ike returned to Europe, visiting eleven nations in less than three weeks.  He tirelessly advocated for a peaceful future in numerous speeches during his visits.  In Paris, he said, “I return to Europe as a military commander, but with no miraculous plans, no display of military force.  I return with an unshakable faith in Europe, this land of our ancestors, in the underlying courage of its people, in their willingness to live and sacrifice for a secure peace and the continuance of the progress of civilization.”³ 

Because of his heroic actions during the war, Ike was greeted all over Europe as the hero that he was.  And, because of his status, the nations listened to him.

In 1953, General Eisenhower became the 34th President of the United States.  Soon after his inauguration, he began negotiations for ending the Korean War.  The war closed a few months later, with victory achieved for the United States and South Korea. 

The United States, during Ike’s two terms as President, saw unprecedented economic growth and stability, and significant peace in spite of the threat of the Cold War with the Soviets and their new leader, Nikita Khrushchev.

Ike invited Khrushchev to his Gettysburg farm, where they discussed the raising of cattle, and their hopes for their grandchildren.  Other world leaders came to Gettysburg too, as guests of the Eisenhowers.  The President’s simple lifestyle and no-nonsense approach was refreshing for those world leaders who, like he, were weary of war and dissidence.

In spite of his long-term recovery from a heart attack in 1955, Eisenhower continued to work during his second term striving for world peace.  In September 1956 he implemented the People to People Student Ambassador Program , where school students would travel to other nations as youth ambassadors, encouraging understanding of other cultures, and cultivate lasting friendships.

“This is one of those times,” he said of the 1950s, “in the affairs of nations when the gravest of choices must be made, if there is to be…a just and lasting peace….It calls upon them to answer the question that stirs the hearts of all men: is there no other way the world may live?”⁴ 

As his second term waned, the President decided that the holiday season of 1959 was the perfect time for another multi-nation tour.  Hoping to build bridges with other world leaders who did not know him well, Ike decided to embark on another lengthy trip to promote the perpetuation of world peace.

Ike took his son, John, with him on another 18-day excursion to Europe and the Middle East, eleven countries in total.  He visited Rome, the Vatican, Ankara, Karachi, Kabul, New Delhi and Agra in India, Tehran, Athens, Paris, Madrid, and Casablanca.  In each of these places, many thousands came out to see the President.  In New Delhi alone, over one million assembled to hear Ike speak to them.  In Tehran, hundreds of Persian carpets were laid end to end in the road for a literal red-carpet welcome to Iran.  After Eisenhower’s speech to the Iranian parliament, the members of the assembly rose to give him a standing ovation.  His busy schedule included state dinners hosted by kings, shahs, and prime ministers of each nation.⁵ 

In most cities, Ike rode in a motorcade, seated in a convertible, so that he might see the public and they could see him.  In Spain, thousands lined the streets calling and waving, and in the surrounding buildings, even more were at the windows to catch a glimpse of the President.  In Casablanca, thousands came from distant villages to add their numbers to those in the crowded city to pay their respects.  They not only cheered for the President, they exulted in that for which he championed – world peace.⁶

It has been sixty-four years since the aged soldier and President made that historic journey.  Since that time, wars and unrest have continued, but Ike’s legacy continues for those who still hope for that elusive goal.

On his portrait statue in Abilene, Kansas, near the chapel where the Eisenhower burial place is found, are these words: “The quest for peace is the statesman’s most exacting duty; practical progress to lasting peace is his fondest hope.”

This soldier for peace spent his lifetime in that quest, and once his duty had ended, his hope remained.  The rest depends upon the generations that follow.

It remains the hope of us all, at this time of year and always.

Sources:  Eisenhower, Dwight D.  At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends .  National Park Service: Eastern National, 1967.  Eisenhower Quotes: eisenhowerpresidentiallibrary.gov .   Hill, Clint. Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford .  New York: Gallery Books, 2016.  Holl, Jack M.  The Religious Journey of Dwight D. Eisenhower: Duty, God and Country .  Grand Rapid, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2021.  Smith, Jean Edward.  Eisenhower in War and Peace .  New York: Random House, 2013.