Truman Family History & Genealogy

At the end of the Potsdam conference President Truman traveled to Portsmouth Harbor England to dine with and meet with King George VI. Allan Rockwell McCann commanded task force 68, which brought the president to the conference.

Dorothy Truman

A photo of Harry S. Truman

A photo of Desmond Doss and President Truman (after Doss received the Medal of Honor).

This is what the certificate says:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Private First Class Desmond Thomas Doss, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty from April 29 – 21 May 1945, while serving with the Medical Detachment, 307th Infantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division, in action at Urasoe Mura, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands. Private First Class Doss was a company aid man when the 1st Battalion assaulted a jagged escarpment 400 feet high. As our troops gained the summit, a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar and machine gun fire crashed into them, inflicting approximately 75 casualties and driving the others back. Pfc. Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept area with the many stricken, carrying all 75 casualties one-by-one to the edge of the escarpment and there lowering them on a rope-supported litter down the face of a cliff to friendly hands. On May 2, he exposed himself to heavy rifle and mortar fire in rescuing a wounded man 200 yards forward of the lines on the same escarpment; and 2 days later he treated 4 men who had been cut down while assaulting a strongly defended cave, advancing through a shower of grenades to within eight yards of enemy forces in a cave's mouth, where he dressed his comrades' wounds before making 4 separate trips under fire to evacuate them to safety. On May 5, he unhesitatingly braved enemy shelling and small arms fire to assist an artillery officer. He applied bandages, moved his patient to a spot that offered protection from small arms fire and, while artillery and mortar shells fell close by, painstakingly administered plasma. Later that day, when an American was severely wounded by fire from a cave, Pfc. Doss crawled to him where he had fallen 25 feet from the enemy position, rendered aid, and carried him 100 yards to safety while continually exposed to enemy fire. On May 21, in a night attack on high ground near Shuri, he remained in exposed territory while the rest of his company took cover, fearlessly risking the chance that he would be mistaken for an infiltrating Japanese and giving aid to the injured until he was himself seriously wounded in the legs by the explosion of a grenade. Rather than call another aid man from cover, he cared for his own injuries and waited 5 hours before litter bearers reached him and started carrying him to cover. The trio was caught in an enemy tank attack and Pfc. Doss, seeing a more critically wounded man nearby, crawled off the litter; and directed the bearers to give their first attention to the other man. Awaiting the litter bearers' return, he was again struck, by a sniper bullet while being carried off the field by a comrade, this time suffering a compound fracture of one arm. With magnificent fortitude he bound a rifle stock to his shattered arm as a splint and then crawled 300 yards over rough terrain to the aid station. Through his outstanding bravery and unflinching determination in the face of desperately dangerous conditions Pfc. Doss saved the lives of many soldiers. His name became a symbol throughout the 77th Infantry Division for outstanding gallantry far above and beyond the call of duty.

A photo of Desmond Doss receiving the Medal of Honor from President Truman. He was the first conscientious objector to receive a Medal of Honor. Only two more have been awarded to conscientious objectors - both of them were in the Viet Nam war.

This is a photo of my husband's grandmother, Pauline Avohn Truman, born in 1905 in Villisca, Iowa.

Back- Susannah Catherine Truman Parks, Amos Parks, Eliza Parks Funk, Mary Auttlebarger Parks. Front- Sam Funk, James Parks, Annie R Parks (on James' lap), Daniel Parks, Emanuel Parks (on Daniel's lap)
Identification of this family is provided by Jim Kennedy (grandson of James Parks)
People in photo include: Amos Parks, Sam Funk, James Parks, Daniel Parks, and Emanuel Parks

A photo of Susannah Catherine Truman Parks

Left- Annie R. Parks and her mother Susannah Catherine Truman Parks

Jesse James' guns, one of which is being held by Vice President John Nance Garner, pointing at Senator Harry Truman of Missouri (who will later be President Harry Truman).

Senator Truman owned the guns. He bought them from the wife of a doctor in Southern Missouri. The doctor had treated Frank James, brother of Jesse and one of the James Gang, and Frank gave them to the doctor as payment. Frank said that Jesse had left the guns to him after being killed by the Pinkerton men.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress, Harris and Ewing

Margaret Truman, daughter of Missouri Senator Harry Truman getting ready to broadcast on radio with other congressional children. Washington, D.C., May 4. She is giving her voice "a final tuning-up" in anticipation of the third annual Congressional Children's Broadcast Saturday over a national NBC hook-up. The Congressional Club is sponsoring the program which include a galaxy of talented congressional youngsters.

Mary Margaret Truman was born February 17 1924 in Independence Missouri.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress, Harris & Ewing, photographer

A photo of (Left to right): Senator Alva Adams, Colorado; Senator Harry Truman, Missouri; Senator Carl A. Hatch, New Mexico; and Gen. Craig at an Alfalfa Club gathering.

Chief of Staff Malin Craig handling the business end of the street organ grinding out the tunes of "Rosie Grady" and "Sidewalks of New York" as he frolicked with members of Congress and other high government officials at the annual outing of the Alfalfa club .

The Alfalfa Club was founded in 1913 to celebrate the birthday of Robert E Lee. It meets only the last Saturday of January and many Presidents and influential politicians are still members (including both Presidents Bush.)

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress, Harris & Ewing, photographer

Harry Truman became President of the United States at the death of President Roosevelt - April 12, 1945. This photo was taken within days of his taking office. He was born May 8, 1884 in Lamar Missouri and was the 33rd President of the United States.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

Here is a class of young men and women who have taken a Shorthand course. There is a long list of names on the back, but I can't seem to find any order to them, so I am listing them simply in they order they are listed. My guess is that Professor Baker is the slightly more mature looking man seated just above the sign. There are also towns and states listed after a number of the names, most likely where they are from, so this is probably a college rather than high school. This photo was part of a lot of photos received from a person in Kansas, who got them from another person who collected them from numerous estate sales throughout Kansas and Oklahoma.

I don't know which people are which, or what school it is. Clues on location above.
People in photo include: Grace Handcock, Henry Off, Lillian Baker, Harley Smith, Perry Dillman, Lola Cla_er, Prof. George Baker, Charles Burlew, William Kunter, Lydia Strand, Henry Dahl, James Wyman, Emil Kolar, Henry Carsy, Louis Heller, and Agusta Arnold