Grandview Farm Boy• Move back to

the family farm

• 1st taste of leadership running farm

• Farming and Oil prospects

• Bess

President Woodrow Wilson• Democrat

• “War to End All Wars”

• Make the world safe for DEMOCRACY

• Awoke Truman’s Patriotism

• Mo Nat’l Guard

SACRIFICES• Mom & sister

have to run farm – patriotic to farm and feed troops

• 33 years old

• Oil prospects

• BESS – FIANCE’

Battery D 129th Field Artillery

• Camp Doniphan, Ft. Sill, Oklahoma

• Canteen

–Eddie Jacobson – (Jewish)

–Lt. James M. Pendergast

• Political ties to Pendergast Machine post war

Off to War• France w/ 6 pairs of glasses

• Captain 2nd Battalion

• "Its rather funny for an old rube to be handing knowledge to the Harvard and Yale boys…“ (HST to Bess)

• Batter D

–Historically rowdy

–96% Catholic

Battles• French 75• Vosges Mts.

–Discipline of troops

•Meuse-Argonne Offensive

•“Best maintained guns of whole Brigade.” Commanding Gen. of 35th

•HST – gave credit to Gun sections

HOME• Zero Casualties• “he could take the

battalion to hell and back without losing anyone.” (a Sergeant of the 35th).

• May 6, 1919 – discharge

• June 28, 1919 – married Bess Wallace

Significance of WW I on HST• Development of a Leadership style

• Crossing of the cultural divides of: Catholic & Protestant (and) Christians & Jews

• Development of Confidence that he could lead men

• Off the farm forever.

–“My whole political career is based upon my war service and associations from the war.” HST

MOST IMPORTANT• War is not a romantic adventure,

it is hell and should be avoided.–Atomic Bomb Decision – to end WW II–Join UN – to maintain World Peace–Korean Conflict – to stop the expansion

of Communism and to avoid a more powerful and aggressive communist foe.

–Firing of MacArthur – to not provoke a war with China