| Original caption: Rendezvous in Paris – Top Military leaders meet at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris August 27. Front, from left are Lieutenant General Omar N. Bradley (February 12, 1893 – April 8, 1981), United States Commander in Northern France; General Dwight D. Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969), Invasion Supreme Commander; General [Marie-Pierre] Joseph Koenig (October 10, 1898 – September 2, 1970), Paris Military Commander General; and British Air Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder (July 11, 1890 – June 3, 1967), Deputy Supreme Commander. The drive into Paris on Sunday morning was lengthy. Kay Summersby (November 23, 1908 – January 20, 1975) drove Eisenhower’s official Cadillac adorned with American, British, and French flags, and as people recognized him, the crowds became enormous. Bradley, the Commander of 1st Army, went too. His aide, United States Army Lieutenant Colonel Chester Hansen (May 17, 1917 – October 17, 2012) reported that when the convoy reached the city, people who had been asleep “came out in their pajamas to wave bonjour at us. Flags and shouting everywhere and the enthusiasm was infectious.” They were met at the Porte d’Orléans by General Leonard T. Gerow (July 13, 1888 – October 12, 1972) and General Koenig and escorted to Chairman of the Provisional Government of the French Republic Charles de Gaulle’s (November 22, 1890 – November 9, 1970) headquarters in the Ministry of War. Kay Summersby describes the scene they encountered. “On the surface, the city looked just as it had when I left there in August of 1939. The tree-lined sidewalks, the unbombed houses, the broad thoroughfares…all these were the same. But many a street was blocked by crude barricades, where the people of Paris had started their own liberation. Along some areas were burned, overturned German vehicles. The only cars were those operated by mad-eyed Forces françaises de l’Intérieur (FFI) men who careened through the streets…firing their guns whenever the spirit (or a new bottle) moved them. Tanks and other armored vehicles of General Jacques Leclerc’s force roamed the avenues with a festive air immediately contagious…The sidewalks were packed with crowds who shouted and threw kisses at our convoy.” Eisenhower and Bradley were taken by Koenig across the Seine to the Place de la Concorde and up the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. The crowds were enormous. A great roar went up when Eisenhower was recognized. “Eisenhower! Eisenhower!” they chanted as French and American Military Police tried to clear a path to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After paying their respects, Eisenhower and Bradley attempted to return to their car. It was almost impossible to move through the crowd. Eisenhower was kissed on both cheeks by a large Frenchman as he approached his car, and Bradley—who had broken off and was headed for a jeep—by a beautiful young woman. “Later, as I rubbed a smear of her lipstick from my cheek, I joked with Ike about my better fortune. ‘I’ll leave the accolades to you and take my chances with the crowd.’” | |
| Image Filename | wwii2133.jpg |
| Image Size | 482.50 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2528 x 2117 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | Eisenhower Library |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | August 27, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | Paris |
| State or Province | Île-de-France |
| Country | France |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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