“My uncle, Bill Boyle, was a young lawyer in Kansas City, and he married my father’s sister. He was Democratic (party’s) national chairman for Harry Truman,” Hayde said. “He was responsible for Truman’s Whistle-Stop Campaign. Truman took a train all over the country, and gave speeches from the rear of the train at various stops.”
The campaign was successful, as Truman was elected in 1948 to a second term.
In famed author David McCullough’s extensive biography of Harry Truman, published in 1992, Hayde’s uncle is mentioned in the book 18 times.
“When I was a little boy about 5, my father took me to the train station in Kansas City during Truman’s campaign,” said Hayde. “There was a big crowd, and it was a cold, blustery day. I remember him speaking on the back of the train, and my father made sure that I shook Truman’s hand.”
His grandfather met Harry Truman as a young man. Thomas Hayde grew up in Kansas City, Mo., and Truman lived in Independence, Mo., a short distance away. They served in the same company in the Army during WWI and remained friends for life.
Among the Hayde family’s memorabilia: an invitation to his parents for Truman’s Inauguration in January of 1949; a picture of President Truman with Boyle; and a telegram to Hayde’s grandmother Sylvia upon her husband’s death.
“I am shocked by the news of Tom’s death, and want you to know that I am thinking of you and share the sorrow which has been laid so heavily upon you and yours,” reads the telegram dated Oct. 4, 1945. “Tom was one of my oldest and most trusted friends. I can only offer you and to all who mourn with you this assurance of heartfelt sympathy in which Mrs. Truman joins.”
In 1950, Truman was responsible for recognizing Israel as a state. Before taking public office, he was in the haberdashery business. His partner, Harry Jacobsen, was Jewish. Of course, Truman will be most remembered as the president who made the decision to drop the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, to hasten the end of WWII.
“He had to make those decisions and live with that,” said Hayde, whose father, Stephen, held political influence in Kansas City. “But my family, as loyal and staunch Democrats, supported him throughout his presidency.”
As vice president, Truman ascended to the presidency on April 12, 1945, after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death. He was re-elected and served until Jan. 20, 1953, when Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower took over.
“My dad traveled many times to Washington, D.C., when I was growing up. And we would look forward to when my aunt and uncle would return from Washington, D.C. Uncle Bill would give all us kids brand-new dollar bills,” said Hayde. “The Truman legacy will always be a part of our family’s story.”
Contact this contributing writer at PamDillon@woh.rr.com.
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