Harry Truman Home & Presidential Library
Behind every great man stands a great woman! |
And less than a
mile away is the Truman Presidential Library. One of the things that stands out
is how many letters Harry and Bess wrote back and forth over the years. Harry
proposed before he left for WWI, and even though she turned him down, they
continued to write while he was away at war – and continued to write throughout
their lives. There are over 1300 known letters. The Library (really more of a
museum than what we expect from a traditional library) has a replica of the
Truman Oval Office – pretty amazing to see up close. And Harry and Bess are
buried out in the courtyard – with their only daughter Margaret and her husband
buried nearby. (I’m a big fan of the Margaret Truman murder mysteries all set
in Washington DC landmarks.) And, of course, there is an Eternal Flame.
Truman was an unintentional
President, who became president at the sudden death of Roosevelt in 1945 – and was most noted
for the decision to drop the Atomic Bomb, and thereby end WWII (a still
strongly debated decision). He also enacted the Berlin Airlift, survived an
assassination attempt, sent U.S. troops to fight in the Korean War, fired
General Douglas McArthur, did a major renovation of the White House, and was a
strong advocate of Civil Rights in the 1950s.
Despite your political preferences, there is something endearing about learning about the men that make the sacrifice to lead this great nation. It's no small task, and a rather thankless job at that. Back when Truman was in office, there wasn't even a Presidential Pension or many of the lifelong perks that happen now. He did what he did because it was the right thing to do, and he gave it his all. If you’re ever in the area, I
highly recommend making the stop and learning a bit more about our 33rd U.S. President.
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