Ike Returns to the United States Victorious After V-E Day: Large Signed Photograph of Eisenhower Upon His Arrival Home on June 18, 1945, Heading to the White House to Meet with President Truman

An extraordinary photo and the only one we have ever seen portraying Eisenhower returning home in victory

For the General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, the last two years of the war would be his most challenging. Eisenhower would oversee the gargantuan plan for the invasion of Europe: the largest air, sea, and land assault in history. He would be the one to give the ultimate order that he knew would send thousands of young men to their deaths. And, despite a top-notch staff and talented commanders, it would be he alone who would have to shoulder the crushing responsibility of decision making. As June 1944 dawned, D-Day approached. On June 1, Ike moved his command post from London to Portsmouth, where he lived in a tiny trailer that he christened “my circus wagon.” It was here that he gave the go-ahead for a June 5 landing which was called back due to bad weather. Ike’s meteorologist forecast a brief window of clear weather for June 6. Sensing that it was now or never, in the early morning of June 5, Ike gave the order, “OK, let’s go” for the 6th.

By late evening June 6, it was clear that Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, had succeeded. The Allies had put more than 150,000 men ashore, and the beachheads were littered with Allied tanks and artillery. In late July the Allies would finally achieve a breakout in Normandy and, by August 25, Paris would be liberated. The Allies advanced eastward through the autumn of 1944. But hopes to end the war before Christmas were dashed when bad weather set in. And, on December 16, as Ike was promoted to the new five-star rank of General of the Army, the Germans launched a final attack: the Battle of the Bulge. Initially successful, it in the end failed. The Allied offensive picked up again in early spring 1945. In mid-April, Ike inspected a concentration camp near Gotha, Germany. He was visibly shaken by the horrors he witnessed there. Immediately, he summoned reporters and congressional representatives from the United States; he believed firmly that history must have an accurate and permanent record of these unspeakable atrocities. By early May, the collapse of the Third Reich was imminent. Just before 3:00 a.m., on May 7, 1945, a weary Eisenhower accepted the German unconditional surrender. Someone on Ike’s staff opened a bottle of champagne in a half-hearted attempt to celebrate but it was flat. Exhausted, everyone went to bed. But the defeat of Nazi Germany – perhaps the most important victory in modern warfare – was accomplished.

The month after the German surrender was incredibly busy for Ike. Unending paperwork, a flood of congratulations, and mountains of correspondence threatened to bury him. Then came the moment Ike longed for – he started back home to the United States. On June 12, he stopped in London for a victory celebration and made a speech in the Guildhall. There he said, “Humility must always be the portion of any man who receives acclaim earned in blood of his followers and sacrifices of his friends….He may have written a chapter that will glow forever in the pages of military history. Still, even such a man…would sadly face the facts that his honors cannot hide in his memories the crosses marking the resting places of the dead. They cannot soothe the anguish of the widow or the orphan whose husband or father will not return.”

Then it was on to Washington, where he arrived June 18, 1945. General George C. Marshall waited with Mrs. Mamie Eisenhower at National Airport for Ike’s arrival. The purpose of the visit was to give General Eisenhower a proper homecoming, complete with parades and other celebrations, to recognize his remarkable efforts in leading the Allies to victory in Europe. Eisenhower’s plane landed at 11:30 A.M. The group departed from the airport for the Pentagon, and Marshall rode with Eisenhower. At the Pentagon Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson greeted Eisenhower and then Ike spoke briefly to thank the many people in the War Department for their support. Eisenhower departed for a grand Victory Parade through the streets of Washington with his staff, to the cheers of thousands. It was the greatest ovation ever accorded anyone in the nation’s capital. After the parade, Eisenhower went to the Capitol for a reception arranged by Congress. He told Congress that the welcome given him was in reality the tribute of a grateful country to the three million U.S. soldiers who helped achieve the victory in Europe. Ike then went to the White House to meet with President Truman and his cabinet and advisors, with operations against Japan being the main topic on the agenda. Marshall was with him at the Congressional reception, and also at the White House meeting.

A large 10 by 13 inch photograph of Eisenhower with Marshall on their way to meet President Truman at the White House amidst jubilation, June 18, 1945, the very day Ike returned victorious after V-E Day, signed by Eisenhower. An extraordinary photo and the only one we have ever seen portraying Eisenhower returning home in victory.