Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman

Depending on how old you are, it is possible that you have experienced many great presidents throughout your lifetime. Every single person in this world has their own view as to what a president’s role in the world should be, and how their values should reflect them. So far, the United States has gone through 42 Presidents who have all offered many new ideas that have aided our country tremendously. One of these great men was our 33rd President, Harry S. Truman who was thrown into the presidents’ seat on April 12, 1945 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt died suddenly.

Harry S. Truman was born May 8, 1884 in Lamar, Missouri and grew up near Independence. The young Truman enjoyed his youth on the family farm with his younger sisters Vivian and Mary Jane who both looked up to their older brother. The family was brought up Baptist, and his small-town parents employed music tutors and encouraged Harry to read history and literature from his father's well-stocked library. Harry Trumans' favorite times during his youth were spent playing his piano and attending concerts. From 1900 to 1905, he held various small business positions, but didn’t find anything that interested him. In school, all of his teachers knew that Truman, a good student, but feisty young boy would surely go to college. He had hoped to attend West Point, the premier military academy in the nation. Unfortunately, he was turned down because of his poor eyesight and his family could no longer afford college, due to the sudden financial loss that his father suffered. For the next twelve years Truman prospered as a Missouri farmer on his parents’ land.

In 1917 at the age of 33, Truman enlisted in the artillery, serving in France and achieving the rank of Captain. On returning from the war, he joined a friend in opening a haberdashery, which later went bankrupt. However, Truman never quit his hard work and took every problem as it came about dealing with them one at a time. In 1919 Truman finally married Virginia (“Bess”) Wallace whom he had first met as a child at school in Independence. Bess was a year younger than Truman and when he first purposed in 1911, she did not seem too eager to marry. Bess let Truman dangle for three weeks before turning him down. Eight years later they finally were wed and together they only had one child, a daughter named Margaret.

Throughout his lifetime, Tr...

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...se forces in a way that could have provoked war with Russia and ultimately cost the United States the support from Allies. Following the personal fight with MacArthur, Truman announced that he would not run for a third term.

Soon after his two terms in office ended, Truman and Bess retired to private life. Truman published two volumes of Memoirs in 1955 and 1956 and he gave support to Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960’s. Truman died on December 26, 1972 and was buried in the courtyard of the Truman Library, which is one of the most popular presidential libraries. Bess died ten years later and was buried beside him.

Even now, so long after Truman was in office, his popularity continues to soar. In the presidential election of 1996 both candidates in debates and speeches quoted him. After learning so much about our 33rd President, I can see why so many people like him. Harry S. Truman was not afraid to fight for what he believed in. On the contrary, he would fight even when he knew he wouldn’t win. Some people may see this as being stubborn, but to me it is a courageous act. Even when people were against him, he stayed strong. He was a great president and should forever be remembered.