Chattanoogan Jane Keefe said a photo of her grandfather operating a city streetcar in 1917 brought back a lot of memories of W.F. Hickman, including the contact he had with Dwight Eisenhower at Fort Oglethorpe.
Ms. Keefe said, "In regard to the photograph of our grandfather driving the Chattanooga streetcar, we have many memories of him sharing the story of driving a young Lieutenant Dwight Eisenhower.
"Lieutenant Eisenhower was stationed at Fort Oglethorpe for three months in 1917, training World War I soldiers in trench warfare.
"Granddaddy was very much impressed with the young Lieutenant's friendliness and politeness. We remember Grandaddy often saying that the other young soldiers on the streetcar with Lieutenant Eisenhower were very respectful of him.
"In the picture of Grandaddy driving the streetcar, it is clearly labeled Car Number 403, East Lake Line. This may shed some light on the question of where Lieutenant Eisenhower lived while he was stationed in Fort Oglethorpe, as Grandaddy clearly stated that Lieutenant Eisenhower rode his streetcar every morning.
"The article by John Shearer in the October 28, 2017 issue of the Chattanoogan.com references this question.
"Granddaddy was born in 1896 and lacked a few days being 100 at the time of his death in 1995. He was 21 years old when he drove the streetcar in 1917 and Lieutenant Eisenhower was 27 years old."