American Historical Ephemera & Photography, Featuring Property from the James Milgram, M.D., Collection of Broadsides, Ephemeral Americana & Historical Documents

Approx. 7 1/2 x 10 1/2 in. (sight); matted and framed to 10 1/4 x 12 1/4 in. (not examined out of frame). Printed on Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force letterhead, with Eisenhower's facsimile signature below and hand-signed by Bradley, Smith, and Ridgeway at bottom. 

Printed copies of this message was distributed among the Allied Forces the day before the 6 June D-Day invasion of Normandy. The version featured here is printed on a larger sheet of paper than those that were handed out to the troops.

Omar N. Bradley (1893-1981) was Eisenhower's top general of World War II, leading the First United State Army in the invasion of Normandy, and commanding the Twelfth United States Army Group comprised of over one million men. After the war, he served as the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Walter B. Smith (1895-1961) served as Eisenhower's Chief of Staff of the Allied Forces Headquarters from 1942-44, and of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces from 1944-45. After the war, he served the US government in a number of capacities, including, most notably, as the US Ambassador to the Soviet Union (1946-48), Director of CIA (1950-53), and Under Secretary of State (1953-54).

Matthew B. Ridgway (1895-1993) was named commander of the 82nd Division in 1942, leading it into Normandy on D-Day. Ridgway replaced Eisenhower as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe in 1952, and was appointed Army Chief of Staff the following year.