Happy Birthday Harry Truman!

[Captain Hilts]

He got an Allied Victory in Europe for his birthday in 1945 after being prez for less than a month.

How cool is that?

HST: Hey Mr. President, is there anything you think you should tell me that you haven't?
FDR: No.

[Forkboy]

1. "Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day."

~ Truman

[monmouth]

2. Hahaha, he really said that? He was the first President I really

remember. I remember his wife being sort of stodgey but his daughter was lovely and a great writer..Bess did not like the limelight and hated DC..

[Captain Hilts]

3. Margaret didn't write the mysteries or the last few non-fiction books. Not only that,

she didn't appear to even read the mysteries!

The one of first ladies is riddled with errors.

Her memoir of her dad is a great read. Her column in the NYT about "you're no Harry Truman" was also great.

[emad]

5. Nonsense. Not only did she write them she won numerous

awards for crime fiction.

Those who knew her well for nigh on 50 years remember the time and effort she put into her writing. Rubbishing her accomplishments is pretty much lowlife.

[Captain Hilts]

6. In fact, she didn't even seem to have read most of the mysteries. She's the one

who coached Elliot Roosevelt on getting someone to write mysteries about his mother.

She did some fine writing, but didn't write the mysteries. Winning awards isn't verification.

[emad]

7. I knew Margaret and her husband very well. She wrote all her

accredited novels and successfully sued a number of detractors claiming someone had 'ghost written' them.

[Captain Hilts]

8. In interviews she was unable to even answer questions about them.

But, her book on First Ladies is very bad history.

She was a great woman and her book about her dad is the best of that kind.

But she really dropped the ball in her later years.

[emad]

9. Yes her health became very frail in her last ten years and she found

some public appearances very trying.

I have personally signed first editions of all her works. It was a priviledge to have known her.

[Captain Hilts]

10. I'll bet that was really neat. I've also always admired Clifton Daniel. Cool guy. nt

[emad]

11. He's cool. Hope one day his boy Wesley will run for public office.

Having said that Clifton would make a fine Senator himself, if only someone can wrest him from his Truman College PR post.

[Sherman A1]

12. Got to see him speak at the 50th anniversary of the Truman Library

Celebration. He was pretty funny and an excellent speaker. Also got to see Bill Clinton speak at the same event.

[emad]

15. I missed that! Heard his tributes to Harry and Bess following their

respective funerals.

Hope one day he'll take up that public service chance if it arises.

[TuxedoKat]

13. Wow, how lucky you are to have known her

She must have told you some interesting stories. I used to live in MO and visited his library.
HST is one of my favorite presidents.

[emad]

14. Harry and Bess were my godparents. Margaret their daughter

and her husband Clifton were wonderful family friends and staunch Democrats.

I was always in awe of President Truman even though he was always very kind, patient and gave freely of his time and attention.

He came to Sir Winston Churchill's funeral in London in 1965 and gave a very moving, detailed eulogy later at the wake held at the American ambassador's official residency. It made the grieving Churchill relatives so proud to see and hear at first hand the unstaunchable loyalty that President Truman showed to his friends and colleagues.

I was seated next to him listening to the many tributes when he leaned over and said "Have a toffee!" - which I did even though it was no eating between meals for us kids! ("But Mom, President Truman said I could!!".....)

Bess Truman gave me my first camera when I was a five year old, a Brownie 127 I think. I have quite a few family snapshot albums of the Trumans both in New York as well as in Grandview, Mo where they used to live.

One day I will publish Truman's eulogy to Churchill footage which my parents took at the residency, it dispels so much subsequent cold war mythology about what is/isn't the Special Relationship.

[TuxedoKat]

18. Thanks for sharing that

You could write a book about the Trumans! Would love to see the footage of the eulogy when you post it. I don't know what else to say, I'm in awe of your experiences but thank you again!

[Forkboy]

4. He really did.

:)

[LiberalFighter]

16. I would love to hear Truman tell these current Republicans what he thinks of them.

Remarks at previous events probably wouldn't need many of the words changed.

[BlueIris]

17. Good ole' Harry looks just like my grandpa. nt