Eisenhower - PArker 51

[rx170]

Hi. I saw today Ike-Countdown to D-day and made some screenshots of the general (Tom Seleck) writing with (so it seems) Parker 51. Here are the pictures. Sorry for the LQ.

Edited July 25, 2009 by rx170

[OldGriz]

That would be the correct pen for him to use...

Parker apparently gave away quite a few 51s to high ranking individuals and from what I have read even more so to Eisenhower....

There is a set of his Parker 51s on his desk at his farm in Gettysburg.....

 

 

TOO FAR AWAY for me to reach them, however... :roflmho:

[Pjake]

Great shots............ the pen is perfect...a 51 no doubt........ the glass of whiskey??????????? or in US scotch????? No ice cubes...so am I to assume a single malt????? No...I'm guessing it should be Johnny Walker (cubes melted). What about the lighter??? a Zippo of some sort???

 

Great shots...thanks for posting

 

Peter

Edited July 26, 2009 by Pjake

[NABodie]

Tom's gettin old. No not you Tom, Tom Seleck.

 

Those screen shots are pretty darn good. Ike use lusterloy caps, GF, or silver?

Edited July 26, 2009 by NABodie

[Artie]

I am pretty sure his Parker was GF if not solid gold. His library and museum and burial place are all close by where I live.

[corkscrew]

Sorry to be pedantic but if it was Johnnie Walker it would be whisky not whiskey

[telltime]

Surprising (a little) about the lighter... I'm pretty sure I.E. was a pipe smoker and, therefore, would have likely used matches. Not that pipe style lighters weren't available (Zippo even made one), but matches are long preferred.

 

Agree that the pen caps would be either GF or solid gold.

[Treecat]

I'd forgotten that Tom Selleck did this movie. He was a good choice, I think. Didn't MacArthur use a Parker '51 at the surrender of Japan aboard the Missouri?

 

 

[Artie]

McArthur reportedly borrowed his wife's Big Red Parker for the event on the Missouri. I have seen movies of him signing the documents and it looked to me like he used more than one pen.

[rx170]

Glad that you like the pictures.

 

To identify the whisky (whiskey) I need to see the movie again (I had a bottle on one picture but I cropped them in order to emphasize the pen).

 

I had no idea that Ike was a pipe smoker (wasn't that McArthur?). In the movie he is presented like a chain smoker always using Zippo to light his cigarette.

 

 

[rx170]

Another picture of Ike writing the responsibility statement (in the case of Overlord failure).

[grimakis]

Didn't Ike have a Coronet set?

[OldGriz]

Here is what the Parker 51 book says about Eisenhower's pens, shortened to the important details so I don't have to type all morning.

 

"In 1937 Parker flew to Manila....... where he met Dwight Eisenhower, then a a Lt Col...... Ike loaned Parker the use of a Army Stinson plane with an army office guide. Thus began a life long friendship.

When Gen. Eisenhower signed the German surrender..... he used a Parker 51 as a personal favor to Parker....... he also created an advertiser's dream when he held up his two 51s in a V for Victory, ......... Parker declined from using this gesture as he felt it was inappropriate on such a solemn occasion."

The pen used for the signing was a Parker 51 DJ in buckskin with gold cap

 

"As a result of their friendship Parker often gave Eisenhower special gifts of 51 sets........... One such set is a 1944 Blue Diamond Heirloom set in buckskin brown with two-color Coronet caps. It is one of the rarest designs of all Parker 51s."

What is very interesting here is that the pen is a single jewel, not a DJ, in buckskin......

 

While President from 1953-61, Eisenhower had a Parker 51 desk set on his desk at the Oval Office.

[Carguy]

When did this movie come out? I need to see it! I guess it would help if I watched more TV!

 

But I really do want to see it!

 

MD

 

Hi. I saw today Ike-Countdown to D-day and made some screenshots of the general (Tom Seleck) writing with (so it seems) Parker 51. Here are the pictures. Sorry for the LQ.

 

[rx170]

When did this movie come out? I need to see it! I guess it would help if I watched more TV!

 

But I really do want to see it!

 

MD

 

Hi. I saw today Ike-Countdown to D-day and made some screenshots of the general (Tom Seleck) writing with (so it seems) Parker 51. Here are the pictures. Sorry for the LQ.

 

I saw it on national TV few months ago. Then I ordered gen. PAtton and Bradley biographies at Amazon and came across that movie and I ordered it too.

 

Click.

[NABodie]

Here is what the Parker 51 book says about Eisenhower's pens, shortened to the important details so I don't have to type all morning.

 

"In 1937 Parker flew to Manila....... where he met Dwight Eisenhower, then a a Lt Col...... Ike loaned Parker the use of a Army Stinson plane with an army office guide. Thus began a life long friendship.

When Gen. Eisenhower signed the German surrender..... he used a Parker 51 as a personal favor to Parker....... he also created an advertiser's dream when he held up his two 51s in a V for Victory, ......... Parker declined from using this gesture as he felt it was inappropriate on such a solemn occasion."

The pen used for the signing was a Parker 51 DJ in buckskin with gold cap

 

"As a result of their friendship Parker often gave Eisenhower special gifts of 51 sets........... One such set is a 1944 Blue Diamond Heirloom set in buckskin brown with two-color Coronet caps. It is one of the rarest designs of all Parker 51s."

What is very interesting here is that the pen is a single jewel, not a DJ, in buckskin......

 

While President from 1953-61, Eisenhower had a Parker 51 desk set on his desk at the Oval Office.

 

Great info Tom thanks for taking the time to put that up.

[telltime]

I had no idea that Ike was a pipe smoker (wasn't that McArthur?). In the movie he is presented like a chain smoker always using Zippo to light his cigarette.

 

No doubt he also smoked cigarettes (even found an article stating he smoked 4 packs a day and then quit cold turkey in 1949 (so message to OlGriz here... it CAN be done).

 

But he also smoked a pipe. I have a book that lists famous pipe smokers but also found his name on-line here:

 

http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-...ng-with-stress/

 

McArthur is, of course, mentioned and in the photos (was that man EVER without a pipe?) but look at the names right above the photos...

 

BTW, the picture of Eisenhower holding the 51s in a V after the signing is in the 51 book that OlGriz mentions. Great photo!

 

[rx170]

Well it looks that the movie has been posted to Youtube and you can look at it. Enjoy.

 

[Jerome Tarshis]

Here I am being spontaneous and not supplying evidence, but I believe it is a matter of record that Eisenhower did not sign the surrender documents, indeed that he refused to be in the presence of the German officers involved, but did pose for the picture with the two Parker 51s.

 

People who know more than I do about the documentary history of World War II may be more on top of the citations than I am. But I can scrabble around a bit. And I can apologize if I find that I've been mistaken.

 

P. S. A link to the contemporary article in Stars and Stripes, asserting that Eisenhower did not take part in the surrender and was not in the room:

 

http://www.empacc.net/~booklink/

Edited July 29, 2009 by Jerome Tarshis

[parkercrazy]

Here is what the Parker 51 book says about Eisenhower's pens, shortened to the important details so I don't have to type all morning.

 

"In 1937 Parker flew to Manila....... where he met Dwight Eisenhower, then a a Lt Col...... Ike loaned Parker the use of a Army Stinson plane with an army office guide. Thus began a life long friendship.

When Gen. Eisenhower signed the German surrender..... he used a Parker 51 as a personal favor to Parker....... he also created an advertiser's dream when he held up his two 51s in a V for Victory, ......... Parker declined from using this gesture as he felt it was inappropriate on such a solemn occasion."

The pen used for the signing was a Parker 51 DJ in buckskin with gold cap

 

"As a result of their friendship Parker often gave Eisenhower special gifts of 51 sets........... One such set is a 1944 Blue Diamond Heirloom set in buckskin brown with two-color Coronet caps. It is one of the rarest designs of all Parker 51s."

What is very interesting here is that the pen is a single jewel, not a DJ, in buckskin......

 

While President from 1953-61, Eisenhower had a Parker 51 desk set on his desk at the Oval Office.

 

 

Hi Tom,

 

It seems Later in years after the War, Someone at Parker had to problem using the image of Ike holding the two 51's in the Victory sign. Below are a couple of advertising posters when the Modern Duofold was Introduced.

 

Francis

 

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b11/fjm111/000_4323.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b11/fjm111/000_4326.jpg