America's Toughest President?

First, read this letter from a distraught father who's son had died in battle.

Harry S Truman. Here is a man who grew up wearing thick glasses (literally blind as a bat)—which prevented him from participating in playing sports. He read every book in the local library. He took over the farm when his dad died, so he could provide stability for his mother and younger siblings. He failed at farming. He joined the army at 33. He led his men into countless fights and didn’t lose one man. He came home and married the only girl he ever loved. Poor (really, really poor) and trying to provide for his wife, he moved into HER childhood home and had to deal with a mother-in-law who belittled and bad mouthed him (sometimes to his face) every chance she got.

Harry and Bess welcomed their only child (a daughter) at a late age. He tried to open a haberdashery with his close friend. The business went bankrupt. Instead of filing for bankruptcy protection, Harry used his own money and PAID OFF EVERY SINGLE CREDITOR! It took FIFTEEN YEARS!

He became a county judge, a presiding judge, then the director for the Federal Re-Employment program. Then he became the senator from Missouri. He was selected to run on the democratic ticket as FDR’s vice-president. Because FDR was a bit of a narcissist and believed that he would never die, Harry was kept out of the loop when it came to all things in the Executive/Oval Office. Harry was vice-president for only 82 days when FDR died. He only learned of the Atom bomb shortly before it was dropped. His message to Japan “We will continue to drop bombs until you surrender” was a bluff; the U.S. dropped the only bomb we had. He also remarked that after giving the He also remarked that after giving the order to drop the bombs, he had a sandwich and glass of milk, then turned into bed. He slept well that night.

He did the Berlin Airlift, merged the Department of War and Department of the Navy together, the Marshall Plan, the Cold War, and dealt with China. His most famous (albeit overlooked) act was the recognition of Israel. Against the advice of his closest advisors, Harry decided to give land to the Jewish people. It cost him some friendships, but he was firm in his resolve as he signed Israel into existence. At the last second he penciled in ISRAEL over the first choice. He was told “God put you in your mother’s womb for exactly this day”.

Harry survived two assassination attempts. He desegregated the military. He called out Joseph McCarthy. He fired General MacArthur (and his mother-in-law gave him HELL for it!). He tried to stave off communism. He didn’t trust Stalin. He had no love for Castro. He reluctantly had Mao-Tse-Tung at the White House. He stood up to the unions. When the railroad workers and coal miners went on strike, Harry decided that the unions had gone too far; he ordered the military to take control of the railroads. He stood silent as crowds burned him in effigy.

When his daughter Margaret’s opera debut was criticized by an editor, Harry wrote a SCATHING letter in response. He told the critic that if they ever met, the man would need to beefsteaks for his eyes and a protective cup. In all fairness, Harry was defending his daughter (who had a pleasant enough voice) who had not only the burden of living up to the Truman name, but had found out the night of her performance that close family friend Charlie Ross had died hours earlier.

He retired from politics and returned to the childhood home of his wife. There was no presidential residuals back then. He and Bess lived off the paltry check he received for his Army and National Guard time. Every morning he woke up before dawn and walked a mile. This was no ordinary mile as he would double time his steps (approximately 120 steps per minute) and leave most reporters behind or gasping for breath. He did this every day until he was in his late 80’s.

He stayed married to Bess for over fifty years (considering they were both in their 30’s at the time of their vows, fifty years is extremely impressive). He wrote books. He was going run for the senate (again) right before he became ill and died.

But this is what made him a strong man (IMHO): Truman was president during the Korean War. It was not popular in America. Nor was his firing of the beloved jerk General Douglas MacArthur. It was during this time that a young man was killed in action; he had been awarded the Purple Heart. The young man’s father mailed the award, along with a letter, to Harry. The letter basically told Harry to take the PH and shove it. Harry kept that letter and PH in his desk until the day he died. It is still there today at the Truman Library.