[schu]

I understand your disdain for Harry Truman, unfortunately IMHO he was a victim of the times, less so of his policies. The US and the world was in no mood (much less capable) for another war, against communism or anyone else, the had seen enough. Harry certainly deserves some criticism, but not sure anyone would have been able to overcome the issues, hindsight is usually 20/20.

Harry did act decisively to end WWII by approving the use of atomic weapons against Japan. By this action alone, he probably saved 1 million US casualties, likely including my Dad as he was with the 5th Armored in Europe and would have been deployed to Asia.

[Mad Mammoth]

Regarding Harry Truman?

Well said. Notwithstanding the bitter bile in an unnamed previous poster regarding Truman, the Truman presidency was a blessing in disguise, because if Roosevelt had NOT pushed Henry Wallace (an unabashed socialist and quasi-communist) out of the VP slot, America would probably be under the hammer and sickle right now.

Truman had the guts to use the atomic bomb, when others were trying to convince him not to use it. He also chose to make America the FIRST nation to recognize the newly reconstituted State of Israel, in 1948. That is nothing to take lightly. His decision regarding MacArthur was unfortunate, however as President, Truman knew something that MacArthur did not - that at the time MacArthur was pushing to invade Red China and expand the theatre of operations, America's total nuclear arsenal consisted of 13 (THIRTEEN) atomic bombs, and that was IT.

Those thirteen atomic bombs, mostly based upon the Nagasaki design, were the only thing we had that could stop a Soviet invasion of Western Europe, which was definitely a possibility while Stalin was in power. If America had chosen to fight a land war with Beijing over Korea, there would have been no way to stop the Soviets in Europe. Truman knew this. MacArthur did not.

Truman did not betray Nationalist China, far from it. He made it clear that the U.S. would defend Taiwan if Mao and his hordes attempted to invade that island. The fact that Taiwan still exists today proves that Truman's policy was the correct one. It was Carter who stabbed the knife into the back of Taiwan, not Harry Truman.

As for Eastern Europe, Truman didn't back down to the Soviets, and the Berlin Airlift proved that. We didn't abandon Berlin. We saved it from being strangled. But I don't need to defend Truman item-by-item, his record speaks for itself, and it is nothing to be ashamed of. Did he make mistakes? Sure. Name me one President who didn't, hasn't, or won't. Was Truman a man of his word, and a man of honor?

You bet your ass. These latter day historical de-constructionists who think they know everything (again, unnamed) make me want to puke.