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Harry S. Truman, 32nd President of the United States (33rd counting Grover Cleveland twice), was born May 8, 1884, in Lamar, Missouri. He was the son of John Anderson Truman and Martha Ellen Young Truman. The Trumans moved to Cass County and in 1887 to the Young family farm in Grandview. The family moved again in 1890 to Independence, Missouri. John Truman made a comfortable living for his family, and from his childhood Harry Truman was called on to perform his daily chores and to help on the farm. His mother, who had a college education, taught Harry how to read and started his lessons on piano. |
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Harry was regarded as a bright student by his teachers and graduated from
Independence High School in 1901 at the age of 17. Truman worked briefly
as timekeeper for a railroad construction contractor and then obtained work
in nearby Kansas City.
He worked as a clerk at the National Bank of Commerce, and later as a bookkeeper at the Union National Bank. After four years of working in the city, he returned to the Grandview farm in 1906. (See what farming was like in early 1900's.) Truman joined the Missouri National Guard in 1905 and was discharged as a corporal in 1911. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, he helped organize the 2nd Regiment of Missouri Field Artillery, which was called into Federal service as the 129th Field Artillery. In France, where he was promoted to Captain and given command of Battery D of the regiment; he participated in the Vosges, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne campaigns. |
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Modest and shy, Truman made little impression on the members of his unit in
the precombat phase of their training. But in action, he proved to be a
cool and resourceful leader. His consideration for the
members of his battery
won him their affection and admiration.
After the war he joined the reserves and was commissioned a Major. He was promoted to Colonel on June 17, 1932.
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