Harry S. Truman Presidential Library
Experience the eventful and triumphant life of America’s 33rd president. Harry S. Truman’s story is richly and uniquely American. From humble beginnings, he rose to become the most powerful man in the world. For nearly eight years, he guided our nation and the world through perilous times, from the ending of World War II to the beginning of the Cold War. Since the Library’s dedication in July 1957, the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum has welcomed and inspired millions of visitors from across the globe.
Harry Truman was the only American President to serve in combat in World War I. As the captain of an artillery battery of about 200 men, he took fire from German forces in eastern France during the closing months of the war. This exhibition follows Truman’s personal journey through months of training and combat. The story is told largely in his own words penned in letters to his fiancee Bess Wallace, in diary entries, and in later recollections.
In addition to original letters and documents, the exhibition will feature nearly three dozen items from Truman’s own combat gear, as well as materials from other men who served with Truman during the war and went on to play significant roles in his personal life and political career. While focusing on Truman’s own journey, the exhibition is set against the background of the war itself and will feature a number of important original items from the war, including a ship’s manifest from the RMS Lusitania, the Zimmermann telegram, and a ceremonial copy of the Versailles Treaty.