Harry & Bess Truman By Military Press “They lived a very simple life without many frills. There seems to be none like him left? President Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation’s history as any other 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 live their entire lives there. When he retired from office in 1953 his income was a U.S Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for 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 of The United States, 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 his own travel expenses and food. Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency and Political Positions (whatever it is), resulting in untold wealth ( too many secrets are kept about that). Today, too many in Congress also have found a way to become quiet wealthy, while enjoying the fruits of their offices and fame. Political offices are now for sale as celebrities. Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, “My choices in life were either to be a piano player in whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference!” We ought to have cloned him!
Posted on: Sun, 06 Oct 2013 21:03:18 +0000