Harry Truman: The Most Human President

  Harry Truman's presidency was a tumultuous time in American history. Reeling from the death of the popular president Franklin D. Roosevelt and still in the midst of a world war, Harry Truman came from a position of relative political inexperience and rose to the challenge of helping to mold America into what it is today.

His decision to drop the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a project begun under FDR, was undoubtedly one of the most difficult decisions ever made by a leader, and this, along with (VE) Victory In Europe Day, led to the end of World War 2. He later helped develop the Marshall Plan, which rebuilt the devastated continent of post-war Europe, and formulated the Truman Doctrine, which led to the formation of NATO and the start of the Cold War. He consolidated the Departments of War and the Navy into the Department of Defense and created the NSA, the NSC, and the CIA. He protected South Korea in the successful Korean War, and he also survived an assassination attempt, redid the White House, and began to work for civil rights.

Harry Truman was not perfect. His administration was plagued with labor strikes and discontent over a number of government officials being corrupt. However, I'd like to think he was among the most human of our presidents. He knew the job was greater than he, and he accepted the help of his close advisors wisely. He came from health issues, illiteracy, and failure at business to lead the free world and won reelection in what was supposed to be a defeat. He famously said, "The buck stops here," and used his plain roots to his advantage by conveying a sense of honesty and humility, And, at the end of the day, he left the country and the world stronger than when he found it.