Found in a box of old letters in Harry Truman’s papers is this elegant little word weapon from parents who lost their child to Truman’s imperial war in Korea:
Mr. Truman
As you have been directly responsible for the loss of our son’s life in Korea, you might just as well keep this emblem on display in your trophy room, as a memory of one of your historic deeds.
Our major regret at this time is that your daughter was not there to receive the same treatment as our son received in Korea.
[Letters of Note via Cord Jefferson]
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War.
What is it good for?
~
Which happens to be the original title of Tolstoy's "War and Peace"
Profiteering.
Colonel Potter's parents were known for their scathing wit.
Interesting that he kept it with his personal papers until the end.
Yes – it says a great deal about him that he kept it. I would bet quite a bit that Mr. Truman answered that letter. He served in the trenches in World War I. He wrote condolence letters to the families of men in his unit who were killed.
Mr. Truman did more than run a war from an office. He had been on the business end of it.
When politician's' and pundits' children are forced to fight on the front lines we'll finally have peace.
I think the only wartime Presidents to actually have children serve in the war they waged were Lincoln and FDR; it's probably not a coincidence that those were the two American wars that were clearly between good and evil.
So… it is OK to fight if it truly matters? What a novel concept…
"We need oil and trace minerals lets go kill some folks" isn't a good reason?
Nope; nor is "we don't like them there commies," "someone assassinated an Austrian nobleman," or "boy those Mexicans / British have a lot nice pretty land to our west / north"
Woah…back up with the World War I stuff there…it's actually a lot dumber than even that. Yes, the killing of Archduke Ferdinand exasperated an already tense situation but the ultimate cause was: "you have more colonies than us and we wants some!" from Germany and for France and Britain: "We carved the entire world up between us, that is neither arrogant nor presumptuous and this will never lead to war in a white man's race to exploit all the darker peoples"….now, I know that isn't as good as "someone assassinated an Austrian nobleman" but the ultimate cause of that war makes it even more pointless because it was COMPLETELY fucking childish.
Damn! That's harsh.
It's accurate.
Harsh, but fair.
The populations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki wrote to the aggrieved parents to express their condolences.
And the populations of Nanking, Singapore, Manila, etc., wrote to the aggrieved Japanese to express their condolences.
I like the idea of turning the oval office into a Vietnam type memorial for all War Presidents so they can never escape the consequences of their actions.
A toxic waste landfill would be a good idea, too.
Somehow that sounds so much more dignified and eloquent than if it was a cut-and-pasted status update on Facebook.
Sharing!
I'm surprised that Harry didn't send the Enola Gay out to bomb their house for their effrontery.
Probably because they did not bomb Pearl Harbor and invade and subjugate all of southeast asia, killing millions of people. Just maybe.
Everybody knows that the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor while the Japanese were running around shooting their guns and ringing their bells trying to warn the British.
Were you homeschooled or something?
Hirohito was a Son of Liberty!
Nothing seems to solve conflict better than completely vaporizing your opponent in the blink of an eye.
Perhaps this explains what Truman reportedly said about his successor:
“He’ll sit there all day saying, ‘do this, do that’ and nothing will happen,” Truman said. “Poor Ike—it won’t be a bit like the army.”
The link explains this letter was found in Truman's desk upon his death 20 years later. Obviously, Truman held on to it. He should have left it in the Oval Office desk, for every future president to read.
Not if you don't click it. (i.e., the question was not meant to be factual)
Hey! Harry S killed my great uncle, at the hands of US Army artillery. It was a terrible and forgotten old/modern/sicko war.
"Harry Truman Pwned" is the best headline ever.
Can't be the only instance of such a letter. Where are those that other presidents received? Any which of them never deserved one?
You make a good point: The fact that he kept it is more interesting than the fact that he received it.
But wasn't this idea of presidents hanging onto mementos of their possible grave mistakes addressed in an episode of "Battlestar Galactica" (the new one, not the cheesy late '70s one)?
How many bereaved would send such a letter to Shrub?
He probably got bales of them every week. Just too chickenshit to share them.
After the media wringer for Cindy Sheehan? Try "none of them", Katie.
and did he read them out loud at staff meetings in a funny voice?
Who is undefeated at Wrestlemania.
well not to be an imperialist, but at least in Korea Kim Il-Sung attacked first ,, not like in Iraq or Afghanistan, or even Vietnam
True, and the folks of S Korea (1955-present) are probably pretty happy to not have had to grow up with the privations of their northern kin and neighbors. And if you love your peppy little Hyundai or nifty Samsung phone or TV, you should probably say a little prayer of thanks for Mr. Truman.
Truman got a nastygram. The family got a dead son. I'd say it was Truman doing the pwning here.
If there is a god, I will go to hell for my laughter, you sick fuck.
How did I already know about this? Oh, yeah, I used to live in Independence, MO. Apparently that letter was already a local legend.
I hope that wasn't your concrete alligator that was straffed by the local police officers.
"Oh, Ken Layne? He harmless".
Cheer up, parents. I'm sure that before he died he was amused by the madcapped antics of the 4077th.
"Suicide is painless……………….."
my grandfather, who was in the Korea War, had to sit out the last half of the war as a hospital cook after he was injured by a grenade. he tells me that M*A*S*H was a pretty accurate portrayal.
Because ROK at the time was a bastion of democracy and civil liberties.
EDIT: don't forget that ROK having a higher standard of living than DPRK is a recent development.
That's not really a ringing endorsement for either side. My only point being that we really suck at empire building……lots of military bases we pay for…..BUT WHERE'S OUR TRIBUTE!!
We make out pretty well with war brides. Now we just need to invade Brazil…
Oh, the tribute always gets paid.
The people never see it, though.
The fact that Truman kept the letter and the enclosed Purple Heart shows he did care about the outcome of his decision. W would have only complained that he didn't get to rub the soldier's head on a visit to Walter Reed.
On the other hand, George W. Bush has no problem sleeping at night. Nope. All the people whose deaths he is responsible for do not weigh on his conscience at all.
What is this "conscience" of which you speak?
Your move, Cindy Sheehan.
Harsh. Anyone ever see "Why We Fight?" Says it all, where war is concerned.
This was rather short sighted of the parents, as without their sons sacrifice, we would not have cheap cars, animation or kimchi.
Exactly… even better from earlier-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XTcePLAVSs
(I believe this is it… @ wrk & cnt woch it)
Truman laughed heartily, banging his fists on his desk, saying "Girls! In combat! Oh, that's rich!"
Trueman probably kept the letter because he believed, "The buck stops here". A sentiment that modern "leaders" don't seem to grasp. Though, I think MacArthur's bad judgment and the North Koreans play some part in this young man's death.
MacArthur in particular, who kept charging towards the Chinese border even while being ordered by Washington to stop charging towards the Chinese border and ignoring his intelligence officers who kept telling him the Chinese were going to jump in. Really if anyone was the imperialist there, it was MacArthur.
Considering Brazilian supermodels Gisele Bundchen & Adriana Lima married Hair-plugs Brady & Cross-eyed Jaric respectively, I think they would make out better as war-brides.
At least it wasn't a pledge pin.
It's not Corrigidor, it's only Korea
It's a lousy little war, but we're still glad to see ya
Well, at least they didn't criticize his daughter's piano playing.
I thought it was her acting/singing?
And most people don't realize he was the architect of the Viet Nam war, by screwing our faithful ally Ho Chi Minh and restoring France as the Colonial Power in that Region.
Riley? Is that you?
I kinda think Harry would be able to handle that, considering he had a pretty tough hide…
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