Description:

Dwight Eisenhower
n.p., [June 6, 1944]
Eisenhower Signed D-Day Orders to His Troops, PSA Certified & Encapsulated Near Mint to Mint 8
DS

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969). Printed Document Signed, "Dwight D Eisenhower," as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, 1p, on "Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force" letterhead measuring 6" x 9.25", no place, no date. Certified, graded NM-MT 8, and encapsulated by PSA to an overall size of 9.5" x 13". Boldly signed. In fine condition.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower had been appointed the Supreme Allied Commander of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), a military alliance between sixteen Allied countries including the United States and the United Kingdom. Allied plans for a cross-Channel invasion of France had been drafted soon after the Nazis swept through northern and western France in 1940. By May 1944, nearly three million Allied troops were massed in southern England in anticipation of the assault.

Eisenhower wrote this rousing speech, intended for general distribution to SHAEF forces, in advance of the invasion. His Order of the Day from June 6, 1944, reads, in full: "Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!

Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking."

On June 6, 1944, approximately 175,000 SHAEF troops participated in Operation Overlord, the Allied military invasion of Nazi-occupied Normandy. D-Day, as it was called, remains the largest amphibious invasion ever undertaken, both in terms of transport and personnel. Over 4,000 Allied ships and some 1,200 Allied planes were involved in the multi-prong attack on five Normandy beachheads. The human cost was high, with an estimated 10,000 Allied casualties and between 4,000 to 9,000 Nazi casualties. Yet D-Day marked the beginning of the Allied liberation of France and proved to be a tremendous boost to Allied morale. The Nazis were driven out of Paris three months later, in late August 1944.

A 5-star General in the U.S. Army, Dwight D. Eisenhower served as 1st Supreme Allied Commander of Europe for 13 months, between December 1943 to the disbanding of the SHAEF organization in mid-July 1945. He served as 34th U.S. President from 1953 to 1960.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Provenance: PSA: 85468946.
  • Dimensions: 9.5" x 13"
  • Medium: DS

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