In 1919, Eisenhower Suffered Through History’s Worst Cross-Country Road Trip

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Gorque
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In 1919, Eisenhower Suffered Through History’s Worst Cross-Country Road Trip

#1

Post by Gorque » 17 Mar 2019, 20:42

Interesting article regarding cross country travel in 1919.
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, did not build the federal highway system for the sole purpose of evacuating cities in the event of an atomic war. But there was one key military endeavor that did influence Eisenhower’s support for giant, smoothly paved roads. In 1919, he traveled with the military in a motor convoy across the country, from D.C. to San Francisco, in “the largest aggregation of motor vehicles ever started on a trip of such length,” the New York Times reported.

...

In 62 days, more than 80 trucks, cars and motorcycles made their way along the planned route of the Lincoln Highway, one of the first cross-country highways ever built. They crossed plains, mountains and deserts on roads that, up until Nebraska, were surprisingly well made. But once the convoy hit the West, the trucks started getting stuck in ditches, sand and mud, for hours at a time. By Utah, the conditions of the roads were so bad, it almost stopped the convoy altogether.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/i ... -road-trip

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Gorque
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Re: In 1919, Eisenhower Suffered Through History’s Worst Cross-Country Road Trip

#2

Post by Gorque » 19 Jul 2019, 15:31

Another recent article regarding Eisenhower's cross-country trip. Much of it is a rehash of the prior, but there is some other information.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/07/opin ... story.html


Richard Anderson
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Re: In 1919, Eisenhower Suffered Through History’s Worst Cross-Country Road Trip

#3

Post by Richard Anderson » 19 Jul 2019, 16:26

Gorque wrote:
19 Jul 2019, 15:31
Another recent article regarding Eisenhower's cross-country trip. Much of it is a rehash of the prior, but there is some other information.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/07/opin ... story.html
It was an interesting event. I include an account by one of the participants - not Ike BTW - in For Purpose of Service Test (if I can ever get it finished and published).
Richard C. Anderson Jr.

American Thunder: U.S. Army Tank Design, Development, and Doctrine in World War II
Cracking Hitler's Atlantic Wall
Hitler's Last Gamble
Artillery Hell

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Gorque
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Re: In 1919, Eisenhower Suffered Through History’s Worst Cross-Country Road Trip

#4

Post by Gorque » 19 Jul 2019, 17:40

^ Cool. :thumbsup: How many pages do you expect it to be?

Richard Anderson
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Re: In 1919, Eisenhower Suffered Through History’s Worst Cross-Country Road Trip

#5

Post by Richard Anderson » 19 Jul 2019, 20:20

Gorque wrote:
19 Jul 2019, 17:40
^ Cool. :thumbsup: How many pages do you expect it to be?
Its approaching 650 pages in manuscript before the 200-odd photos are included.
Richard C. Anderson Jr.

American Thunder: U.S. Army Tank Design, Development, and Doctrine in World War II
Cracking Hitler's Atlantic Wall
Hitler's Last Gamble
Artillery Hell

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