The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-08-28

SECOND LIEUTENANT ESSEN. HOVER. % years old, stepped from West Point into World War I. Here he was Co show his genius ln the new age of mechanized warfare as the organizer ci the first American tank corps to enter battle.
 America was preparing for the in. evftable day when it would be drawn into the vortex. Thirty-six days be- Tore Ike graduated from West Point. German submarines had sunk the transatlantic passenger ship Lusi- tania (May 2. l9i5). with a loss of iieS lives. Of whom i2a were Amer. jeans. Plutests only brought defi- ance from the Germans. Ruthless submarine warfare came home to ships flying the American flag.
 We find young Ike first assigned to the 18th Infantry at Fort Sam Houston. in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. l3. 1915. few miles from his birthplace in Denison. Here again he vas under the shadow of the his- toric Alamo. Six months later when Pancho Villa began his raids over the Mexican border, burning Amer ican homes. Second Lieutenant Eis- e1il1ower was made Inspector-In- structor of Militia on the Mexican border. This was his job from Aug. I, 1916. to April l. 1917. Punitive forces under Gen. John J. pershing began chasing the bandit into the Mexican mountains. Some years later. after Pershing had won fame leading the American Expedltionary Forces i;. France. Villa was am- pushed and killed in Durango.
 Daniel s. Miller, now a military policemen at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. tells this story about young Eisenhower at Fort Sam Houston in the fall O.. 1915. Miller was Ike's first orderly.
 ''One evening I had date at San Antonio and needed a pair Of civ- llian shoes so I sneaked a pair of the lieutenant's without being caught. The next morning arose early to replace them under his bed. As was cleaning his room that morning the lieutenant quietly tEHtaSkCh. IT gOu Hnttt PaA SA shoes don't be bashful. ask for them don't sneak them out" I was dumbfounded when he added. You can use those shoes any time they are yours"
 Young Eisenhower received his promotion to first lieutenant while stationed at Fort Sam Houston on July 1. 1916. and on that day was married to the charming Mamie Geneva Doud in Denver. Col. The soldier groom was 25 years old and his bride was i9.
 The vivacious Miss Doud had left Iowa. her birthplace. and gone 10 Denver, Col. during World War l. Her parents were in San Antonio, Texas. and she went 10 visit them. The story in the Eisenhower family is that when young Dwight met her --he was stationed at Fort sam Houston at that time--he decided thes and ther'. This is the girl I'm going to marry"
 It is further said that on the night Mamie. as he calls her, first met Dwight she had a date with an- other man and was anxious to get away. Together with her parents and a neighboring judge and his wife. she was having dinner at the officers mess. Mamie didn't want to stay. Her mother told her they would be polite guests-Mamies g young man could pick her up at the post after dinner. or not al all There was to be TO argument about the matter. Mamie stayed.
 This was on a Sunday night. and Dwight was at the officers mess He and Mamie got along well from inc beeinning. Before her date. Ma mic walked around with Dwight to inspect the first sentry. The next night Dwight called the Doud res idence again and again. Mamie her self had gone to picnic. When she returned the maid told her Mfr. Y Something" had been calling every IS minutes. The telephone rang again and Mamie answered fl.
 "He asked mo to go Co the show at the "big night at the Majestic. she admits. well. all Of us glris were always dated up for that night. SO I told him 1t would be four weeks before had an eye' ming open
 After much futile argument, Dwight took the engagement four u,eaks afead biit he says he man.