U.S. President Harry S. Truman
33rd President of the United States 1945–1953

Background
Harry S. Truman was born May 8, 1884 to parents John Anderson Truman and Martha Ellen Young Truman in Lamar, Missouri. At age six, his family moved to to Independence, Missouri. In his early life, he learned to play piano and worked as a page in the 1900 Democratic National Convention in Kansas City because his father was active in the party.

Wartime History
During the 1944 Presidential election, Truman was selected by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt as his running mate and won the election. On January 20, 1945 he was sworn in as Vice-President of the United States and passed only one tie-breaking vote in the Senate and was rarely consulted by the President and only met alone twice while he was in office and was only Vice-President for 82 days until April 12, 1945 when U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in Warm Springs, Georgia, Vice President Harry S. Truman was sworn in as the 33rd U.S. President of the United States of America (USA).

On May 8 ,1945 Truman issued the proclamation of Victory-Europe Day (V-E Day) on his 61st birthday. On July 7, 1945 he boarded USS Augusta (CA-31) with Secretary of State James F. Byrnes, and Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy boarded and departed across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe and while at sea learned about the successful atomic bomb detonation at Trinity Site before arriving at Antwerp in Belgium then traveled to Potsdam, Germany

Potsdam Conference
On July 17, 1945 the Potsdam Conference began with leaders from the Allied nations including Truman, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. This was Truman's first meeting with Stalin. On July 26, 1945, the Potsdam Declaration is issued to Japan by the Allies represented by U.S. President Harry S. Truman for the United States, Prime Minister Winston Churchill for the United Kingdom, and Chairman of China Chiang Kai-shek for China. The Soviet Union (USSR) was not included because it was not at war with Japan. The Potsdam Declaration ended with the declaration: "We call upon the government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction."

On October 5, 1945 in a ceremony outside the White House, Truman presented to the Medal of Honor to three U.S. Navy including PM2C George E. Wahle and HA1 Robert E. Bush plus eleven U.S. Marine Corps recipients including Private Wilson D. Watson.


On October 12, 1945 in a ceremony outside the White House, Truman presented to the Medal of Honor to SSgt John C. Sjogren.


On October 27, 1945 U.S. President Harry S. Truman and Mrs. Truman attended Navy Day Fleet Review in New York Harbor aboard USS Renshaw (DD-499) and later boards USS Missouri (BB-63) where he is show the surrender table and a Japanese sword.


On November 15, 1945 in a ceremony outside the White House, Truman presented to the Medal of Honor the widow of Commander Samuel D. Dealey.

On June 7, 1946 in a ceremony outside the White House, Truman presented to the Medal of Honor to Pfc Pfc Dirk J. C. Vlug.

Memorials
On December 5, 1972, Truman was admitted to the Kansas City Research Hospital and Medical Center with pneumonia and suffered multiple organ failure, fell into a coma, and died on December 26, 1972 at 7:50am at the age of 88. Afterwards, he was buried at a simple private service at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri.

References
The White House - Harry S. Truman

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