By David Wilson
Seventy years ago, during World War II, Allied forces staged a victory parade in Tunis, Tunisia to commemorate the liberating of North Africa from German and Italian control.
Several Allied generals were there, but two of them, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Omar Bradley, had very similar experiences.
Both grew up knowing about the struggles of poverty, the necessity of hard work, and the dignity to be gained from it. Both were from the heart of America. Eisenhower was from Kansas; Bradley from Missouri.
In 1911 Eisenhower and Bradley took different routes to Jefferson Barracks near St. Louis to take the entrance exam for the United States Military Academy at West Point; both were accepted.
Both were in the West Point 1915 graduating class.
Years later, both men joined the elite company of American generals who earned five stars.
Both went on to hold extremely important positions after the war, Eisenhower as Chief of Staff of the Army, Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and later president; Bradley as head of the Veteran’s Administration, Chief of Staff of the Army, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
But it was 70 years ago this month, on May 20, 1943, that the general from Kansas and the general from Missouri were celebrating victory in North Africa and at the same time planning how to engage the same enemy in Europe.
Bradley was there because Eisenhower needed him there, as an American general to help keep Eisenhower in touch with the troops who manned the front lines.
Bradley’s unique combination of experiences helped prepare him to be the “GI’s General” a name he was given because of his ability to relate to the average GI on the ground.
Bradley was the son of a Missouri country school teacher, a regular church attender greatly influenced by his Sunday school teacher, a successful baseball player in high school and at West Point, and a young man who once worked for 13 cents an hour in a railroad repair shop in Moberly, Mo.
In addition, as a young soldier he received the best military training available. He would later be referred to by Eisenhower as his “best tactical advisor.”
When Bradley died in 1981, he was eulogized by President Ronald Reagan: “For 69 years he wore the colors of an American soldier—with courage, integrity, professionalism, and, above all, honor. Even as he rose in rank, humility never left his side. He was the ‘GI’s General’ because he was, always, a GI.”
Bradley’s story is one that has been played out in America’s history time and time again. A young man from rural America, or from small town America, or from urban America, goes away to fight in a foreign land. His integrity and work ethic, forged in the everyday fabric of American life, enable him to contribute to victory.
Once returning home, such a soldier never accepts the label of hero. He leaves that designation to those who return in a coffin draped with the American flag. He simply views himself as one who quietly did his duty, thankful that he can enjoy the blessings of liberty that he helped preserve.
In light of the sacrifices of Bradley, Eisenhower, and thousands of others down through the years, we cannot help but honor them and commemorate their service on Memorial Day.
David Wilson, EdD, has worked for 24 years in Missouri public schools as a teacher and administrator. He has studied history, journalism, and educational leadership. You may e-mail him at dwnotes@hotmail.com.
