king and country...

Am cruising through Dwight D. Eisenhower's 'Crusade in Europe', his memoirs for the period of the Second World War. His descriptions of the various personalities involved are succinct, but gracious and insightful. I have especially appreciated the glimpses of George Patton and Winston Churchill. Especially growing to appreciate Churchill's tenacity of will and his skill at using his oration, logic, wit, and any other weapon at hand to get his way when he had his mind set on something.

On the eve of the Normandy invasion, apparently Eisenhower, acting as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces turned down a number of people's requests to observe the landing from the ships, including Churchill's request. Churchill was too important to the war effort to risk as a casualty.

He replied with complete accuracy, that while I was in sole command of the operation by virtue of authority delegated to me by both governments, such authority did not include administrative control over the British organization. He said, "Since this is true it is not part of your responsibility, my dear General, to determine the exact composition of any ship's company in His Majesty's Fleet. This being true," he rather slyly continued, "by shipping myself as a bona fide member of a ship's complement it would be beyond your authority to prevent my going."

But what is great about it is the counter:

I later heard that the King had learned of the Prime Minister's intention and, while not presuming to interfere with the decision reached by Mr. Churchill, he sent word that if the Prime Minister felt it necessary to go on the expedition he, the King, felt it to be equally his duty and privilege to participate at the head of his troops. This instantly placed a different light upon the matter and I heard no more of it.

Where are men like these at such a time as this?