Subdeacon Joe Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 " Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 32 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House. The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence , Missouri . His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire lives there. When he retired from office in 1952 his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year. After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret Service following them. When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, "You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me.. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale." Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, "I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise." As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food. Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today , too many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference! We ought to have cloned him for telling it like it is and being frugal with our tax dollars!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 Piano player in a whore house would have been a TON MORE FUN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-BAR #18287 Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 Mr. Truman became President when FDR died in April. 1945. He made the decision to use the A-bomb in August. As Crazy Cora observed (paraphrased), it's common for things not to go well at first in a new job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted June 12 Author Share Posted June 12 I think a lot of WWII veterans started voting Democrat because of Truman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 I still remember his TV show titled Decision. In this clip he talks about Potsdam. Last October (rather than going to Bordertown) I went to Potsdam and stood on the site of the famous photo of Churchill, Truman and Stalin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 Found a couple of photos of where the Potsdam conference took place and a photo of the spot where the historic photo was taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantry Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 I don't think Truman was a horrible President, but remember that it was during his administration that the US Military was so drastically reduced that we were very much unprepared for the Korean War. To be fair, it was hardly the first the US went to war drastically unprepared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 I worked for a dairy farmer in 58-60, when I Was in 8th and 9th grades. I learned a lot of new words when Truman was mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 In one of the great irony's of history the Brits had an election during the Potsdam conference and Chruchill lost. Clement Atlee finished the conference for the Brits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 I think Truman was a man who did what he had promised to do when he took the oath of office. He was great president because of that alone and he was the only Democrat president I ever had any use for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 My Dad was a staunch Republican and voted for Tom Dewey against Truman both times they ran. Many years later, Dad said he thought Truman was the best president we ever had! I agree with Dad, wholeheartedly. Truman made his mistakes. But as the sign on his desk stated, "The buck stops here!" He took responsibility for his decisions. No question he was a politician, but, if there is such a thing, an honest one. To paraphrase Archie Bunker's lead-in song..."We could use a man like Harry S Truman again!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 He was POTUS when I was born! Wow I'm old!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 3 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said: He was POTUS when I was born! Wow I'm old!!! FDR was president when I was born, KID! Some one asked Truman if he ever regretted any of his decisions and was told "No. I always made my decisions based on the best information I had at the time, and looking back on the ones that didn't turn out right was a waste of time because I couldn't change any of them." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Hair, SASS #29557 Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 I know he is the only Democrat I would ever vote for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwater 53393 Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 Truman was president for eight days after I was born. My father never forgave him for firing McArthur! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 1 hour ago, Blackwater 53393 said: Truman was president for eight days after I was born. My father never forgave him for firing McArthur! Funny, some folks I know only liked him for dropping the bomb and canning MacArthur. Used to know, I should say...passed away now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 He was a product of the Kansas City Pendergast machine and New Deal Democrat. Quote Truman also gained valuable political experience as a member of the Pendergast machine that he took with him for the rest of his political career. The machine was racially, ethnically, and religiously diverse, including African Americans, Irish, Italians, Jews, Catholics, and Protestants among its ranks. In 1939 the machine’s leader, Tom Pendergast, was convicted of income tax evasion and was sentenced to serve time in Fort Leavenworth. The Pendergast conviction came at a point when Truman had to decide whether he would seek reelection. He decided to organize a statewide campaign that appealed to a broad cross section of Missourians who supported the New Deal. He was the first Missouri politician to actively appeal to women, African Americans, farmers, and labor groups, who had become important New Deal constituencies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Barleycorn, SASS #76982 Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 7 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said: Truman was president for eight days after I was born. My father never forgave him for firing McArthur! My Grandfather was of exactly the same mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted June 14 Author Share Posted June 14 Ol' Dugout Doug didn't understand that he wasn't president. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwater 53393 Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 22 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said: Ol' Dugout Doug didn't understand that he wasn't president. Perhaps, but his removal may have extended the conflict considerably! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted June 14 Author Share Posted June 14 11 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said: Perhaps, but his removal may have extended the conflict considerably! Or prevented a war of the US against a Russian/Chinese alliance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 "....Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today , too many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference! We ought to have cloned him for telling it like it is and being frugal with our tax dollars!"..." he was the only democrat president that had my full confidence , based on above i might adjust that to the "ONLY PRESIDENT" i did not know that he lived in virtual poverty and dedicated his presidency in the vain of the founding fathers of "serving" the public good -= not getting rich on us , i have an even greater respect than ever after reading this , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 11 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said: Truman was president for eight days after I was born. My father never forgave him for firing McArthur! McArthur was insubordinate and deserved to be fired. Truman was Commander In Chief of ALL the U. S. armed forces and McArthur couldn't keep his mouth shut and challenged the President publicly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 17 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said: He was POTUS when I was born! Wow I'm old!!! Me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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