2021 Visit KC Official Guide - 13

VISIT INDEPENDENCE

TRUMAN LIBRARY INSTITUTE

HARRY S. TRUMAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM

HARRY S. TRUMAN HOME

TOURING TRUMAN
Other Truman-related sites
in Kansas City
HARRY S. TRUMAN HOME
The Independence home where the
Trumans lived from 1919 until his
death in 1972. Free guided tours by
the National Park Service.
TRUMAN FARM
The family farmstead in Grandview,
where Truman worked for 11 years
to support his family, is now also a
National Historic Site.
HISTORIC TRUMAN COURTHOUSE
Offers a glimpse into the life of thenPresiding Judge Harry S. Truman,
complete with his historically
preserved office and courtroom.
For more, including walking tours of
historic Independence and Downtown KC,
go to trumanlibraryinstitute.org.

presidential railcar from 1943 to 1958,
is the backdrop for a new video.
Few images define Truman more than
him standing on the back of that Pullman
car while in St. Louis, holding a copy of that
famous Nov. 3, 1948, issue of the Chicago
Tribune erroneously declaring, " Dewey
Defeats Truman. " A copy of that newspaper is displayed nearby.
In 2018, the Truman Library became the
recipient of several thousand items from
the now-defunct Korean War Veterans
National Museum and Library in Springfield, IL. Those are now highlighted in a
gallery devoted to the Korean War.
But one of the most moving artifacts
from the Korean War came to Truman
after he was no longer president. It's a
Purple Heart awarded to Private First Class
George Banning prior to him being killed
in action in Korea in May 1953. Truman
was no longer president at that time, but
Banning's parents sent the Purple Heart to
Truman with a note that read, " Our major
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regret at this time is that your daughter
was not there to receive the same treatment as our son received in Korea. "
Truman's staff found the medal and the
letter in a locked drawer in his office more
than 20 years after the president had died,
which leads today's visitors to contemplate the emotion the president had felt
upon receiving this painful reminder of
his decision to send troops to South Korea.
Those who have visited the Truman
Library in the past will remember the
massive mural by Missouri artist Thomas
Hart Benton that graced the lobby entrance.
The renovation includes a new museum
entrance on the east side of the building,
but don't worry-the Benton mural has not
been touched. Entitled Independence and the
Opening of the West, the mural stretches 19
feet tall and 32 feet wide. It's now the focal
point of a new gallery, Truman's Independence, that interprets the period here that
influenced the United States' 33rd president. Fans of Benton's work will appreciate

the additional display of sketches and
other intricacies that bring the mural
to life.
So, there's plenty of new material to
make today's visitors think more deeply
about Truman and learn more about
the period of time that shaped him and
shaped America.
But one of the simplest renovations is
that of a glass wall in the lobby that reveals
the courtyard and the final resting site of
Truman and his wife, Bess. While the grave
site has been open to the public since their
burial, the previous library design did not
highlight the courtyard. As a result, few
actually visited the grave site, and others
simply were not aware of its presence.
The courtyard includes roses and other
flowering bushes, benches for contemplation and an eternal flame. Even in
inclement weather, visitors to the library
are now able to pay their respects to
the man from Independence. Give 'em
hell, Harry.
Visit KC 2021 13

1/27/21 1:51 PM
http://www.trumanlibraryinstitute.org http://www.VisitKC.com
2021 Visit KC Official Guide

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