Letter from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Leonard T. Gerow

Creator:

Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969

Scope and content:

Letter regards Dwight D. Eisenhower's appointment and day-to-day activities.

Language:

English

Other descriptive data:

Headquarters
European Theater of Operations
United States Army
16 July, 1942.

Dear Gee,
Your letter of July 6th arrived today. You are quite right about the speed with which I moved during the last few days I was in Washington. When I got on the plane, it was only by the grace of God and with the help of the entire Operations Division, that I had any baggage whatsoever.

I knew, of course, that when I got a letter from you it would contain all the nice things you had to say about my appointment here. Better than that, I knew that in your case they would be honest and sincere. In return, I can only any that there is, as you know, no one else in the whole army whose good opinion means so much to me as yours. I hope also that you will not for one minute, believe that you are stymied in division command. While anyone commanding one of our divisions has a man-sized job and need not be bothering his head about anything else, the fact is that you are so eminently fitted for the highest commands that they will never be able to let you stay there long. My visits here merely bear out the conviction you and I have held for many years, that corps, army, and even higher commanders, have to be relatively young men.

Another thing I have noted in going about here, that two things which cannot be over-emphasized are, physical condition of the men, and skill in handling motor transportation. The other day I ran into a division which had just completed ninety miles in three days. It was in fine shape, and it was easy to see that those Britishers were exceedingly proud of what they had done. On the other hand, I do not believe they have made as great advances in handling motor transport as we have. The problem of having it when you want it, using it as you need it, and then getting it out of the way when you don't want it, is really something to solve.

I sincerely hope that your division will get the men and equipment it needs, and then be left alone under your guidance. It they do that, it will be a top-flight outfit and I should be proud to have it here. Which reminds me that I have not looked up to see whether we are asking for divisions by name or merely by total number - I'll have to find out about that. Since you wrote, the powers-that-be have given me a promotion. I'm quite well aware that this does not put any more brains into my thick skull, but it is noticeable that it helps considerably in dealing with the British officers, particularly here in London where much of my work is with the War Office, the Chief of Air Force and so on. Also it places, in the eyes of the British, a certain War Department stamp of approval upon me, thus allowing me to speak in a little louder voice in some of our meetings. I have been quite astonished to find that these people do not seem to resent my frequently fluent flow of Western Kansas profanity. In fact they seem to like it.

Scrappy is doing a good job in the 5th Corps and has two fine Division Commanders, Ward and Ryder. Just today he at last got rid of an unsatisfactory Chief of Staff, and I feel very content with the progress in that sector. J.C.H. Lee is doing well with the S.O.S., and Spaatz with the Air Force. I sincerely hope that soon you will bring your division over here, although I suspect it will be a corps rather than a division that you bring.

With best of luck and much love to Mary-Louise.
As ever,
Ike

Major General Leonard T. Gerow,
Commanding 29th Division,
A.P.O. No. 29,
Fredericksburg, Va.

Subjects:

Correspondence

Names:

Gerow, Leonard T. (Leonard Townsend), 1888-1972
Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969
Gerow, Leonard T. (Leonard Townsend), 1888-1972

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