| Original caption: “General Ike waves and ‘The Hat’ stays calm – Time after time, during New York’s welcome yesterday, General Eisenhower gave this V-wave, while Mayor La Guardia sat calmly beside him, his famous hat in his lap.” United States Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969), Commander of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), in a car with Fiorello La Guardia (December 11, 1882 – September 20, 1947) as they transit from La Guardia Airfield (New York Municipal Airport) to City Hall. A 17-gun salute welcomed Eisenhower and his Douglas C-54 Skymaster “Sunflower” upon arrival at 1012 Hours. A crowd estimated at 35,000 greeted his plane. Police estimated 2,000,000 people lined 5th Avenue alone. Businesses across the city closed and posted pictures of Eisenhower in their windows. 450,000 schoolchildren were allowed to attend. At City Hall, Eisenhower received the key to the city, the 3rd military officer to do so. Eisenhower saw his 1st baseball game in 3 years, the New York Giants at the Boston Braves, at the Polo Grounds; the Braves won 9 to 2. He then attended a dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel ballroom in his honor. Irving Lehman (January 28, 1876 – September 22, 1945), Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals of New York, presented a speech to honor Eisenhower upon the end of the conflict in Germany and his visit to New York City. Eisenhower also spoke, expressing his gratitude and awe for the reception he had received during his trip through the city that day. He spoke of New York’s contribution to the war effort, both in the numbers of ‘sons of New York’ who served and the domestic production efforts. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0934.jpg |
| Image Size | 268.25 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 1860 x 1471 |
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| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | June 19, 1945 |
| Location | |
| City | New York |
| State or Province | New York |
| Country | United States |
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| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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