| Original caption: “The President Greeted at the United States Army Airport by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. President Harry S. Truman is greeted at the Frankfurt, Germany airport by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. He has just stepped down from the United States Army Air Force plane. There are two unidentified officers standing to either side. During the interlude in the Potsdam Conference when Prime Minister [Winston S.] Churchill and Clement Attlee returned to London for British election returns, President Truman flew to Frankfort [sic] to inspect United States troops.” General D. David “Ike” Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969), 1st Military Governor of the American-occupied Zone of Germany, greets United States President Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) at Frankfurt Airport, later Rhein-Main Air Base. Eisenhower had established the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) in Frankfurt before it was dissolved on July 15. Truman and his party left Newport News, Virginia aboard USS Augusta (CA-31) at 0815 Hours on July 7, 1945. The heavy cruiser docked at Antwerp, Belgium on July 15 at 1004 Hours and the President’s party left the ship at 1115 Hours. The President and his entourage arrived at Brussels-Evere Airport and boarded Douglas VC-54C Skymaster 42-107451 “Sacred Cow” which was the 2nd of 3 C-54s to depart for Frankfurt at 1300 Hours. 3 Douglas C-47 Skytrains flew the baggage and the correspondents. President Truman’s VC-54 arrived at Gatow at 1613 Hours. He was accorded honors from the 2nd Armored Division. He then retired to his quarters in Babelsberg. From July 15 to July 25, the President conducted meetings at Potsdam. On July 26, the President and his entourage arrived at Gatow Airport at 0730 Hours. President Truman inspected United States Army personnel and facilities at Frankfurt. In his memoirs, Truman reported reviewing the 3rd Armored Division and the 84th Infantry Division. Lieutenant General Louis Watson Truman (June 20, 1908 – December 2, 2004) was Assistant Commander of the 84th Infantry Division and a cousin of the President. President Truman jokingly told the Commander of the 3rd Armored Division, Major General Robert Walker Grow (February 14, 1895 – November 3, 1985), that he’d met soldiers from Missouri but not South Carolina, Secretary Of State James F. Byrnes’s (May 2, 1882 – April 9, 1972) home state. The soldier driving spoke up, much to the embarrassment of General Grow, and said he was from Spartanburg, Byrnes’s hometown. Truman stopped the convoy and had Byrnes, in the next jeep, meet the driver. He returned to Gatow at 1830 Hours. At 1900 Hours he returned to the “Little White House” in Babelsberg. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0869.jpg |
| Image Size | 694.22 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2316 x 2892 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | Harry S. Truman Library and Museum |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | July 26, 1945 |
| Location | |
| City | Frankfurt |
| State or Province | Hesse |
| Country | Germany |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NLT-AVC-PHT-63(1453)8 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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