Larry, the Russians declared war on Japan invading Manchuria only two days after the first atomic bomb was dropped. Japan knew the Russians were in a "land grab" exercise in Manchuria and Korean and with a Japanese Army of nearly a million and a half men in Manchuria did not threaten the Japanese home islands.

You are making an assumption that Japan feared Russia more than the United States. There is no claim by Japanese historians that Japan feared Russia more than the Americans. With American forces gathering for an invasion Japan was much more concerned with where the American's were going to land.

You make an irrational claim that Truman's integration of the armed forced in 1948 was a way to get more blacks to enlist. Voluntarily enlistments were not needed as the draft provided all the manpower required for all services.

Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 32 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House.

The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence , Missouri . His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire lives there.

When he retired from office in 1952 his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.

After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret Service following them.

When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, "You don't want me.. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me.. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale."

Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, "I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise."

As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food.

Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, too many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale (ie. Illinois ).

Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!

We ought to have cloned him for telling it like it is and being frugal with our tax dollars!

gee, if he didn't drop the bombs we would have lost a slew of young men on the home islands.....the Japanese leaders were warned about the destructive power of the bombs....they chose to ignore it...twice.......it took two doses to make them throw in the towel.......I'm not jewish, but I think they had every right to have a homeland....I will say it's a shame they can't all get along together....
you seem to be any angry person....most of the replies to this post were positive toward Truman....he had some tough decisions to make, and he made 'em....and he retired gracefully....