Im just plain Mr. Truman now, a private citizen. So said an overwhelmed Harry S. Truman to a boisterous, affectionate crowd that surprised him as he ventured to a private home in Washington for a farewell lunch soon after his successor, Dwight Eisenhower, was sworn in as president of the United States. It was Jan. 20, 1953. Later, a regular Baltimore & Ohio train with a special car attached would take Truman and his wife, Bess, from Union Station westward, to their home in Independence, Mo. Thousands saw them off at the station. So long, Harry! they cried, as if they knew him. At 6:30, with the crowd singing Auld Lang Syne, the train began pulling slowly out of the station, until it was beyond the lighted platform. It had been a long road from Independence to the White House, and now Truman was going home. (This is from David McCulloughs magisterial 1992 biography, Truman.) And he really did go home.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 14:59:52 +0000
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