And remembrance is something we surely did today at the Truman Presidential Library and Museum.
Our friends, Frank and Bette Foulke, joined us for our trip into Independence to visit what is the first such museum built following the completion of presidency. It was a place to store all of the important documents and support items gathered during the period of presidency for the use of those who were and are interested in indepth studies. But what it is especially offers is a history of the time period when Truman was president - from 1944-1952
as well as tell the story of his life.
Two films, thousands of pictures, personal letters, newsarticles and commentaries, plus a variety of artifacts helped us to live again through the dramatic years that included WW II, the atom bomb, creation of the United Nations, NATO and the Marshall Plan, the Berlin airlift and the Cold War. We were all reminded to the many Life Magazines that had come into our homes with pictures and news relating to those times when we walked into a room "wall papered with covers, pictures and articles about that period of time.
We couldn't help but remember our first TVs and things that we saw on it in those early days including some of the first news casts and speeches made by Truman to the nation. The rationing that affected the citizens during the war affected us. We learned to make do with what we had, grow our "victory gardens", buy war bonds, and draw black outs curtains, We saw immigrants arriving from war torn countries (one family moved in next door to us), supported our government as it put the Marshall Plan into affect helping European countries recover from the war devastation. It was during this time that Israel became a country.
There was a recreated Oval Office on display as it looked during Truman's presidency. It was far more austere than later presidents had (we could easily compare since we've just been to both the George W Bush and Clinton Libraries).
In fact, for a period of time Truman lived in Blair House because the White House was in need of major repairs. And it was there that there was an attempt on his life.
Truman's wife tried to remain in the background as much as possible and in fact spent parts of each year back in her mother's home in Independence, the home she and Harry Truman shared with her mom. We drove by it but it was closed due to the holiday.
Harry Truman, his wife Bess, and their daughter Margaret and her husband are buried in the courtyard of the complex.
Flags representing all fifty states fly in that courtyard.
Just off the courtyard is the entrance to the library of all the documents as well as Truman's office as it was after he left office. In those days presidents did not get any pension or have any secret service protection. He kept busy handling the building of the museum and library and meeting with all those who still came to him, sent letters and made calls.
Each of us posed by the life sized statue of Truman for a photo before heading back.
After a quick lunch at a local Wendys (all of the restaurants in town were closed because of the holiday) we made a quick run to Camping World to find a new shower head since ours broke a couple of days ago. Since a Walmart was in the same area we also made a quick stop there and then returned to the campground.
Bette and I got our gingham material cut into place mat sizes and zigzag stitched around the edges to cut shedding so we could begin doing hardanger stitches on them. Bette is teaching Glenda Christian and I how to do this so we can create future gifts for our Mid-Florida Winnie rally gift baskets for next year.
We also enjoyed a short walk in the campground since the we finally were having a day without rain. Well no rain after 9:30 this morning anyway. Mostly we were just enjoying a day of relaxation before we set off for a new campground and new experiences tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment