Dear Bess: June 6, 1944
Transcript
Welcome to the Dear Bess/ Dear Harry podcast for June 6, 2024, brought to you by Harry S Truman National Historic Site, and coming to you from Independence, Missouri.
For today’s episode, we would like to share a Dear Bess letter from June 6, 1945. Today is the 80th anniversary of the day known as D-Day. We pause to remember those who exhibited incredible courage that day, and thank them for their honor and sacrifice.
Two notes of context for this letter: • One, this letter was written by President Harry S Truman on the first anniversary of D-Day. A year before, Harry S Truman was a United States Senator from Missouri and that summer of 1944 quickly found himself elevated to being the Democratic nominee for Vice President, with Franklin Roosevelt at the top of the ticket for the fourth time. • In early June of 1945, early in Truman’s term, his wife Bess and daughter Margaret went home to Independence, Missouri, mostly to supervise some work being done on their home at 219 North Delaware Street. Truman missed them terribly, and felt quite lonely without them.
Thanks for listening. Here’s the letter: June 6, 1945
Dear Bess: Well I'm getting better organized now. My office force soon will be shaken down and so will my Cabinet when I've gotten State straightened out. War and Navy I shall let alone until the Japanese are out of the picture.
It won't be long until I can sit back and study the whole picture and tell 'em what is to be done in each department. When things come to that stage there'll be no more to this job than there was to running Jackson County and not any more worry.
Foreign relations, national finances, reconversion, and a postwar military policy will be the big headaches--and they can all be solved if the Congress decides to help me do a bang-up job, and I believe they will do that.
Had a grand time last night at Biffle's party. Barkley, Lucas, Hatch, Overton, Radcliff, Chavez, Fullbright and Charlie Ross and Harry Vaughan from my office were there as well as several of Biffle's friends from around town. I'd say about 25 in all were there. Old Barkley paid high tribute to both me and Biffle.
Well I'm facing another tall day as usual. But I like 'em that way. I'm never half so worn out when I have too much to do as I am when there is too little. Trouble is I'm working the help to death. Tell my baby I was glad to talk to her last night as well as to her mamma.
Lots of love,
Harry
Written on the first anniversary of D-Day, President Harry S Truman, still in his first months of his administration, shares with his wife (back home in Missouri) a bit of how he intended to shape his administration.
https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/library/truman-papers/correspondence-harry-s-truman-bess-wallace-truman-1921-1959/june-6-1945