Fort George G. Meade: The First 100 Years

98 THE FIRST 100 YEARS
While the Eisenhowers renovated their quarters to
make them appropriate for a family, “he rented a wretched
single room in a Laurel, Maryland, boardinghouse on
Montgomery Street for a month," wrote Carlo D’Este in
his book "Eisenhower, A Soldier’s Life".
This added to the wealthy Mamie’s unhappiness. She
did not like Laurel “where make-do and secondhand were
by-words,” wrote D’Este. “That was a horrible time,”
said Mamie in a 1977 oral history quoted by D’Este. The
Eisenhowers left Laurel for good when Mamie declared
“Ike, I just can’t take this any longer.”
There was one bright spot for the couple: their son
Doud Dwight Eisenhower (nicknamed “Icky”). Icky was
a favorite of the Tank Corps. “Soldiers there nicknamed
him ‘Mascot of the Corps’ … He loved to march about
in his miniature Army uniform,” wrote Jim Newton in his
book "Eisenhower, The White House Years".
Crisis developed at Christmastime in 1920. Three-yearold
Icky came down with scarlet fever. Doctors from
Johns Hopkins University assisted Camp Meade’s Army
doctors in treating the boy. Icky was quarantined for a
few weeks before passing away on Jan. 2, 1921 at Camp
Meade hospital.
“This was the greatest disappointment and disaster
in my life, the one I have never been able to forget
completely,” Ike wrote.
“Unfortunately for Eisenhower, other dark days awaited
him at Camp Meade,” Rabalais told me.
Almost Court-Martialed
In the Spring of 1921, and still reeling from Icky’s
death, Ike faced the very real possibility that he would be
court-martialed, as detailed in Rabalais’ book.
The previous year, while their quarters were still being
renovated, Eisenhower put in a claim for reimbursement
for Icky’s living expenses, who was staying in Denver with
Mamie’s family. The Army paid the claim.
Ike and Mamie were living in Army housing at Meade.
According to Army regulations, he could receive one or
the other: government housing or payment for off-base
lodging. When Ike realized his mistake, he reported it and
expected to have to pay back the money.
Unfortunately, the Army’s acting Inspector General
seemed to have a grudge against Ike and recommended
he be court-martialed. Camp Meade’s commanding
officer, however, considered the recommendation to be
unduly harsh. Instead, he delivered a verbal reprimand
and ordered Ike to pay back the money.
T`he Inspector General was not appeased, and ordered
a court-martial to proceed. It was at this point that
Conner’s request for Ike to join him in Panama as his
Executive Officer came through. Conner communicated
to his former boss, Army Chief of Staff John J. Pershing,
to resolve the situation.
“Conner’s behind-the-scene maneuvering bore full
fruit” when the Inspector General said in staff memo
that “The trial of Maj. Eisenhower is not recommended,”
wrote Rabalais. “When Fox Conner rescued Dwight
Eisenhower’s career in 1921, he changed the course of
history.”
***
(Pg. 96) Eisenhower was captain of the Tank School football
team which played an undefeated season in 1921. He
coached the Third Army Corps All-Stars who were defeated
by the Marine All-Star team. Originally published in The
Laurel Leader, Feb. 22, 2017, History Matters, info@
theleonardgroupinc.com. Included here courtesy of the
Baltimore Sun Media Group.
(Above) Dwight and Maime Eisenhower made their home at
Camp Meade, living next door to then Col. George S. Patton.
Eisenhower said he and Patton “got along famously.” Maime,
however, hated her time at Meade, describing it as “a horrible
time.” (Right) Eisenhower with a Renault FT-17 Tank.