<--PREV Doc #1908  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #1910 Document #1909; July 10, 1956 To Alfred Maximilian Gruenther Series: Gruenther Papers The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XVII - The Presidency: The Middle Way Part X: Cracks in the Alliance; May 1956 to September 1956 Chapter 20: Confronting "great risks"   Dear Al: I realize that I have not been very communicative of late, but I blame that upon the regime that Howard Snyder and Leonard Heaton had inflicted on me.1 What with treatment, exercise and rest the hours pass all too quickly. I do seem to be regaining my strength, and I think that I shall be able to make the trip to Panama all right.2 Incidentally, George has vested in himself your position as physician-in-chief, and gives me hourly, if professionally questionable, advice.3 We had David and Anne here for four days, and the rest of the family for the weekend.4 David's current preoccupation is with the Battle of Gettysburg, and I admit, rather fondly, that he is an apt pupil. Give my love to Grace and, of course, the best to yourself. As ever P.S. I have heard splendid reports about your speech before the Governors' Conference.5 1 On Eisenhower's recent surgery see no. 1894. Snyder was Eisenhower's personal physician (see no. 1919). Major General Leonard Dudley Heaton (M.S. University of Louisiana 1926) was the commanding officer at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 2 Gruenther had written that he hoped Eisenhower would be "in the pink" or if not, would "have wisdom enough to cancel the trip not later than July 10th" (June 27, 1956, AWF/A). As it turned out, the President would attend the conferences (see no. 1925). 3 This was mutual friend George E. Allen. Gruenther had written several times since Eisenhower's surgery. In addition to sending humorous advice to the President, he sent gifts to the resident staff of Ward 8 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (June 13, 20, 27 and July 8, 1956, all in AWF/A; and Whitman to Gruenther, June 18, 1956, AWF/A, Gruenther Corr.). 4 These were the Eisenhowers' oldest grandchildren. 5 The forty-eighth annual conference had been held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the week of June 25 (see New York Times, July 1, 1956). Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Alfred Maximilian Gruenther, 10 July 1956. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 1909. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/first-term/documents/1909.cfm <--PREV Doc #1908  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #1910

Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission 1629 K Street, NW Suite 801 Washington DC 20006 Phone: 202.296.0004    Fax: 202.296.6464