After graduating from West Point, Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890—1969) served as a junior aide to two of the most revered figures in the US Army – General John Pershing, the iconic former commander of American expeditionary forces in World War I, and Douglas MacArthur, the onetime Army chief of staff.

As Eisenhower rose in seniority, he became renowned for his planning abilities, and in late 1942, he was picked to helm Operation Torch, the early-war Allied amphibious landing in North Africa. He also led later operations in Sicily and Italy before his appointment as supreme commander for the invasion of France in 1944. Eisenhower would then lead Allied forces in Europe until the end of the war.

Eisenhower endured his share of early stumbles in the Mediterranean but proved a superior strategist, particularly during the Normandy campaign and late-war operations in Belgium and Germany. His amiable demeanor was one of his greatest assets, as was his ability to navigate competing interests and personalities within the Anglo-American alliance.

After the war, Eisenhower remained in Europe to oversee the occupation of Germany before returning to Washington to serve as Army chief of staff. Following his retirement, Eisenhower became the Republican presidential nominee in 1952, winning the White House in an Electoral College landslide. He served two terms in office before retiring to his farm in Pennsylvania, passing away in 1969 after several heart attacks.