Tom Selleck, being a very popular actor, I had never heard of this particular movie. In my own thoughts, I could not picture Tom Selleck playing the role of General of the Army, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Despite having to shave his head, Tom Selleck did a very good job in his portrayal of Eisenhower and the decisions that he had to make in World War II. The movie was made for television in 2004 and aired on the A&E channel.

Dwight D. "Ike" Eisenhower, our 34th President of the United States (1953 ~ 1961) and the first President that I can remember in my youth. I can still recall his campaign slogan and the "Ike" buttons. They were red, white and blue and simply read "I Like Ike". Richard Nixon would become his Vice President.

General Eisenhower was sent to Europe as Commander of American Military Forces in World War II. He would become the Allied Supreme Commander for all forces in Europe. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was not thrilled and felt that his own popular General, Field Marshall Montgomery should be the Supreme Commander. French President Charles de Gaulle, preferred his own General to assume the command. The video does a great job of showing the interactions of these three men, finally agreeing that General Eisenhower would be the Allied Supreme Commander.

Under his leadership, the largest invasion force in the history of the world was planned and assembled for the invasion of Europe. It was crucial to keep the invasion at Normandy a secret from the Nazis. The mission was coded Operation Overlord. The invasion was to commence on June 6, 1944. That date was chosen to coincide with the moon and the tides on the beachhead of Normandy. To enhance their secret, they built a fictitious Army around General George Patton including tanks, aircraft, and equipment made out of plywood. The German's respected General Patton and felt that he would lead the invasion force from the south where his "fake" Army was holding.

The weather changed for the worse just prior to the invasion, General Eisenhower had to make the sole decision as to continue the invasion as scheduled or postpone it to July. Because the beaches were strongly fortified, the intent was to send in troops by parachuting and gliders behind the enemy lines to distract them from the invasion. Due to the weather forecasts, Eisenhower's Air Commander estimated that their fatality rate would be 70%. The movie and Tom Selleck does a very good job in portraying the "burden of leadership" and the consequences of their decisions. A small window of opportunity opened between the three storm fronts moving in, General Eisenhower ordered the invasion to commence. The airborne troops that went behind the lines suffered a 20% fatality rate. The movie does a good job of showing the interactions between General Eisenhower, Prime Minister Churchill, President de Gaulle, Field Marshall Montgomery, and even General Patton. If you enjoy history, you will love this movie, it was well done. Not a typical "war" movie, not a single shot is fired as it is the story leading up to the Normandy Invasion and "D" Day.

As a side note, General Dwight D. Eisenhower as Allied Supreme Commander was a five star general. A rank that he would hold after the War by Congressional Approval and titled General of the Army. In this status, he would never retire from military service. Upon his election as President, he had to resign from the military. Following his Presidency, his status as General of the Army was returned to him. Today, when you drive down the Interstate Highway, you can thank his Presidency. He established the Interstate Highway system for the sole purpose of having the ability to move military equipment and supplies faster. President Dwight D. Eisenhower passed away on March 28, 1969.