in writing his MEMoirs Dwight D. Eisenhower was extremely conscientious about protecting the details of national security. He avoided, for instance, explain- ing how intelligence information was obtained from aerial and satellite recon- naissance sources. In this book I have attempted to fill in many missing pieces of the puzzle, drawing on documents declassified since Eisenhower’s time and on personal interviews with many of those involved with developing and using this critical source of military intelligence.
Before describing Eisenhower’s pivotal role in advancing and using aerial reconnaissance, I briefly examine the development of aerial reconnaissance as a primary source of intelligence, not only for the United States but for our allies and enemies as well. Many key leaders of our country were far from convinced that acquiring photographs from balloons, airships, aircraft, or satellites was worth the cost in dollars and lives. Eisenhower had to deal with these attitudes as he rose through positions of leadership in the military and afterward as president, and the rather tumultuous early history that blended talent, tools, and information affected his decisions.