Our Presidents
                     Harry S. Truman
                         Thirty-third
                         1945 - 1953

"President Harry S. Truman", our thirty-third President was born in Lamar, Missouri, the son of a farmer. President Truman attended public schools in Independence, Missouri, worked as a railroad timekeeper, newspaper wrapper, bank clerk, and bookkeeper, then went back to run his family's farm when he was twenty-two.

President Truman fought in "World War I", coming home a Major in the "Field Artillery". After World War I, President Truman opened a men's clothing shop and married "Elizabeth Virginia Wallace". President Harry S. Truman and Elizabeth Virginia Wallace Truman were blessed with one daughter.

President Truma was a Judge of the "Jackson County Court" from 1922 to 1924. During this time President Truman studied law. Backed by the Democratic political boss of Kansas City, Missouri "Tom Prendergast", President Truman pushed ahead in politics, becoming presiding Judge and in 1934, "United States Senator".

Democratic political boss Tom Prendergast, was exposed as corrupt, but President Truman's reputation for honesty was such that President Truman was re-elected. In 1944 President Truman ran for the Vice Presidency with "President Franklin Delano Roosevelt", and on President Roosevelt's death became the President of a nation at war.

One month after President Truman took office, Germany surrendered, but the Japanese fought on. In an effort to shorten the war, President Truman authorized the "atomic bombing of Heroshima and Nagasaki". The war was over. Now the nation had to adjust to peace.

There were strikes and demands that wartime restrictions be lifted. President Truman worked out polcies to meet these emergencies, but the Congress blocked most of his reforms. Although the unemployment that was predicted did not develop and the country's production increased, political experts were sure President Truman could not be  elected again in 1948.

President Truman traveled thirty-one thousand miles, making three hundred fifty speeches to get the farm and labor vote, blasting away at the "Do Nothing Congress" that had failed to carry out his programs. President Truman won a second term.

During President Truman's two administrations, the "United Nations Charter" was signed. Though some in the political circles approved this move, others feared how the future would be designed under the United Nations.

Also under President Truman's administration, "Berlin, Germany", which had been blockaded by "Russia", was supplied with food by British and American airplanes. The "Marshall Plan"  to help Europe to recover from the war was passed by Congress with an appropriation of seventeen billion dollars; and the "North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)", in which thirteen countries agreed to defend one another, was approved. Yet, in all these years it has not worked the way everyone had originally designed.

In 1950 "North Korea" invaded "South Korea". President Truman sent "General Douglas MacArthur" to command United Nations troops in pushing back the North Koreans. During the three-year "Korean War", American troops reached the border of "Communist China", and General MacArthur wanted to fight on into China, which was supplying volunteers to the North Koreans, but President Truman, unwilling to widen the war, stopped General MacArthur and relieved him of his command.

In 1952, President Truman announced that he would not run again and he retired to Independence, Missouri to write his memoirs.

Written by:
Karen Palumbo
Photography "NOT" by:
Robert Palumbo
7/1/2010 (c)