Evening star., 1952-07-12

arms, however, Wnen MS parents
moved to Kansas.
There still exists in this coun-
try and Europe the belief that the
generals ancestors were Of Ger
man stock. coming to this coun-
try in recent years. AS a matter
of fact, Ike's forebears are from
Switzerland. They arrived in the
New World before the Revolution
and settled in Pennsylvania.
In the massive family Bible. Ike
is listed as David Dwight Eisen-
hover, but his mother reversed the
baptismal record of his given
names in the hope that her sons
friends would find it difficult to
coin a nickname out Of Dwight"
Family Nickname.
Nevertheless. the many sons of
the Eisenhowers eventually an
swered to the nickname of "Ike''
at one time or another in their
lives: There's even a rumor that
young Dwight was dubbed ugly
Ike"-within the family circle, ii
was explained. ::
Growing up with Dwight were
Arthur. Edgar, Roy, Earl and
Milton. now president Of Pennsyl-
vania State College. 5 SO
The Eisenhowers worked hard
according to the neighbors. and
ienjoyed life without knowing they
were poor in the light Of present
standards.
The boys shared such duties as
getting up before dawn to start
the fires and get the coffee going
before their mother arrived in
the kitchen.
They weeded the garden. fed the
chickens. MIXED the cows and
slipped away. on occasion, to 90
swimming or hunting. On Sun
days, in the summertime, they
cranked a family-size ice cream
freezer.
Young Ike learned to fry eggs
and prepare vegetable soup or
lamb stew. Meanwhile, he COM
lpeted with his brothers for q
berth on the local baseball team
Each Of the boys was allowed
to work his own garden. They
planted what they wished and
kept their earnings. Ike recalled
that he specialized in sweet corn
although some years he made q
killing in early cucumbers."
Ike took to history and mathe-
matics in high school. His class
historian made the mistake OF
predicting he would teach history
instead Of make it.
Period Of Odd Jobs.
In the early days in Abilene
Ike's father, David Eisenhower
worked in a creamery to support
his growing family. When Tks
left high school at the age of 18
he helped his father, worked as 6
fireman and a helper in a re.
Ifrigerator plant and did odd job
on neighboring farms.
The youth had q hankering tt
extend his education and join the
military service. He would have
been a sailor instead of a soldier
except for the fact that he was q
;lfew months too old when he wor
an appointment to the Nava.
Academy at Annapolis.
/ Ike took competitive examina.
.ltions for both academies after be.
ling graduated from high school
lHe finished first in the Annapolis
examination and second in the one
for West Point.
The appointment to Annapolis
came through about the time Iks
discovered he was q few months
lover the age limit Of 20 years
Jas q result. he went to Wesl
Point, finishing 61st in q class oi
l164.
| During world War !, the young
officer became interested in the
clumsy, sometimes unreliable
monster called tanks, with which
the British had surprised the Ger.
mans on the Western front.
1 He spent most -of the war II
this specialized work and did not
Iget into combat overseas until
the second global conflict.
| BY this time. he had seen serv-
lice throughout the United States
land In the Canal Zone. He also
found time to be graduated from
lthe War College in Washington.
Assistant to Macarthur.
/ From 1885 to 1910. the up-com-
ling young officer was assigned a
assistant to Gen. Douglas Mac
ARTHUR while the latter was mill
Itary adviser to the Philippine
government.
Upon leaving the Far East. Gen
IKE was stationed on the Wesi
Coast and in Texas until the biz
* y - i x :