General Eisenhower.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 35, Issue 8, 1 October 1944, Page 9

General Eisenhower.

"The Church Times" gives the following sketch of the American General who is m charge of the Normandy invasion: — ■■• .. ■ ■ General Eisenhower has the reputation of being a tough fighter, or, m the phraseology of our Allies, a "pug." Certainly "the momentous events to ■ come, will call forth all his dominant qualities. Thfe Commander-in-Chief is not unaware of his need of the divine assistance m the stupendous task before him. Not many months ago he watched the departure of his first armada, bound for Sicily. And the significant story is told by an eyewitness how he "had himself a little service." The scene lay on a hill overlooking the harbour from which his invasion ships were to sail. The General stood Vwith a group of staff officers watching

the harbour m the moonlight. It was zero hour. Three thousand ships lifted .anchor and moved silently into the mist! Planes roared overheadf .This is the eye-witness account of what followed m that solemn predicament "At that moment,, evidently deeply moved — and not only by the spectacle of that moving fleet —he suddenly lifted himself to rigid military carriage arid attention, lifted his hand reverently to a formal salute, stood that way for a few solemn seconds, and then dropped his hand from thaf rigid salute to his valiant soldiers^— and bowed his head m a short prayer of -silence." Then, as if feeling it necessary Jto explain, his mood, tie said to one of his aides: "There comes a time when you have, done all that you can possibly do; When you have used your brains, your training, your technical skill, and the die is cast and the events are m the hands of God-^-ahd there you have ■to put them.V, , y