June 25, 1942

Eisenhower had proven himself worthy of this title time and time again throughout his years of dedicated service in the U.S. Army. During World War I, Eisenhower commanded a tank training center. Afterward, he went on to work in the Panama Canal Zone and graduated at the top of his Army War College class. Although he had not witnessed combat first-hand yet, his 27 years of knowledge and expertise stood out to George C. Marshall. Marshall thus chose Eisenhower as Supreme Commander on June 25, 1942.

Eisenhower played a vital leadership role in Operation Torch — the North Africa invasion. He did the same again during Operation Overlord — the D-Day invasion in Normandy. After World War II, Eisenhower went on to serve two terms as President of the United States.