7030 - Dwight D. Eisenhower Signed Photograph to His Personal Pilot (1943)

Dwight D. Eisenhower Signed Photograph to His Personal Pilot (1943) Vintage matte-finish 6.5 x 9 bust-length photo of General Eisenhower in uniform, signed and inscribed in fountain pen to his personal pilot, "To Lieut. L. J. Hansen, Co-pilot of the plane that has carried me many miles in this theater. Africa—1943. Dwight D. Eisenhower.” In fine condition, with a couple light creases. Accompanied by an unsigned original program from Eisenhower's 1957 inauguration as president. Laurence J. Hansen served as a U.S. Army Air Forces officer during World War II, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel and earning the Bronze Star, Air Medal, and Legion of Merit. From November 1942 through November 1946, he served as Dwight D. Eisenhower’s personal pilot, flying the general extensively during the North African and European campaigns. Hansen later chronicled his experiences in the memoir 'What It Was Like Flying for Ike,' making Eisenhower’s warm 1943 inscription to his trusted pilot especially significant.