Sidney Spiegel; Served as Gen. Eisenhower’s Bodyguard in WWII
Sidney Spiegel, 81, World War II bodyguard to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, died Wednesday in Somerset, N.J., of pneumonia.
As an Army sergeant with the military police, Spiegel was assigned to Eisenhower. The general later wrote in his book, “Crusade in Europe,” published in 1948: “A sergeant who accompanied me everywhere in France was a motorcycle policeman named Sidney Spiegel. His personal loyalty and his anxiety to protect me knew no bounds.”
After the war, Spiegel worked as a bodyguard and chauffeur for tobacco heiress Doris Duke before joining the Somerville Police Department. In 1951, he began a 25-year career with the New Jersey State Police.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
