President Harry S. Truman

More stuff from the archives. I would appreciate insight as to the occasion.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• President
• Truman
• America
• Leader

[FlatulenceFox]

Turman was the right man for the time.

[hhardleyat]

I am pretty sure this movie footage was shot in the summer of 1952 when President Truman came to Springfield, MO for the 35th Division reunion (WW1). Truman was in Battery D and we see him at the very end of the footage wearing a "D" armband. Also during the reunion, Warner Brothers premiered the movie "The Winning Team" starring future president Ronald Reagan. In fact, there was a photo of President Truman in the reviewing stand watching Ronald and Nancy Reagan go by in a Cadillac convertable!

[rosefiend42]

@hhardleyat I saw that band on his arm too and thought Company D!

[JosephRys]

You wanted insight about this video, what the occasion was? I believe it occurred in 1951, during the Korean War. Truman flew to Wake Island to meet with General Macarthur, who is seen briefly at the end of the video. (for more reference, see the 1977 movie "Macarthur" with Gregory Peck, which has a brief scene showing this)

[OncomingStorm]

Incorrect: "Truman threatened using nuclear weapons on China." That was Eisenhower. It was the press which ran stories based upon misunderstanding Truman's remarks at a press conference which caused the world to believe he was rattling the nuclear sabre. Truman knew the bomb better than any other President- he'd used it and never wanted to use it again. If he wanted to use it he would not have gone with the U.N. to stop N. Korea- he'd have just given N. Korea nuclear hell.

[FlatulenceFox]

I completely disagree. This is just a revisionist interpretation that relies to much on today's current political climate. The threat from the Soviet Union and Red China were real at that time and people were fearful of the threat in the US and the rest of the west. The NSC and CIA were a necessary evil during this time (the KGB was just some glee club). China and North Korea invaded South Korea. It was not in the US interest nor was it the S. Koreans desire to become communist.

[dave98503]

I agree completely.

This guy is completely overrated...one guy

says he is great and then they all follow in step. If he had allowed MacArthur to invade China as I was pleasantly corrected by CaptainDesiderio, we wouldn't have the problems now, if you're not sure what I mean,...you can just google it.

[CaptainDesiderio]

MacArthur, not Mcarthy. If you are going to insult one of the best presidents in living memory, then atleast get the history right.

[moeron85]

Truman threatened using nuclear weapons on China...an unfortunate tyrant ran by war hawk National Security Advisor Dean Acheson. Truman created the NSC and CIA and greatly expanded American investment in nuclear weapons. He heightened the military industrial complex and from 1950 to 51, the start of the 'Korean conflict' raised military spending from $13bil to $53bil in the matter of one year. Sixty years later, his actions still leave America on the ever present brink of nuclear destruction.