Hello?

Yes, President [Harry S.] Truman’s on the line.[note 1] Harry S. Truman was a U.S. senator [D–Missouri] from January 1935 to January 1945; vice president of the United States from January 1945 to April 1945; and president of the United States from April 1945 to January 1953.

Thank you.

Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

This is Harry Truman.

Mr. President, I love you as everybody in America does, and I’m just so honored that you would take the time to call me.

Well, I called you, because I think you set a record that’s never been equaled and never will be.

No, anybody got your record [will] never equal it. When you go to looking at the Truman Doctrine, and NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization], and Marshall Plan, and everything else, it makes all of us look like pygmies, and I know it. And I [Truman attempts to interject] —that’s one good thing about me: I got sense enough to know it, but I . . .

Well, you’re all right in my book, and I just wanted to congratulate you. Now, I feel just as happy about it as you do.

I know you—you feel happier, ‘cause you always been more for your party and the other folks than you have been for yourself. And I just want you to know as long as I’m in that office, you are in it. And there’s not a privilege of it, or a power of it, or a purpose of it that you can’t share. And your bedroom’s up there waiting for you, and your plane’s standing by your side, and—

Appreciate it.

—your doctors, and anything else you want or need, why, by God, Uncle Sam will—

The first time I’m able to travel and get around, I’d like to come see you and just talk over old times.

You just tell—

With nothing in view but to see Lyndon Johnson.

You just tell them that, and you bring Margaret [Truman Daniel] and your grandkids down, and we’ll have a plane pick both of you up, [Truman laughs] and we’ll just come there.[note 2] M. Margaret Truman Daniel was the daughter of Harry S. and Elizabeth V. Truman, and a singer, actress, and author. And I want to get your advice and talk to you, and I think we got a good chance, but we’re in trouble on foreign things.

Well, you’re all right now, and you won’t have any serious trouble at all, and if there’s anything I can do to help, you know I’m available.

Well, you’ve done it. I came to you when I wanted to know how to run for vice president, and I came to when I wanted to know how to run for president. And I think that we gave them a good mauling, just what you wanted them given, didn’t we?

Yes, just exactly what they ought to have had, and it’s the finest thing that’s happened in the history of the country.

They rubbed their nose in it.

Well, that’s right.

They were dirty, oh!

[laughing] Just what they ought to have had.

You don’t know how dirty they were. They put out mean—

Oh, I do. I do, too. I got so damn mad, I could’ve killed somebody.

They put out these mean books, and they questioned my integrity and my honesty, and—

I know they did, but you want to forget that. Because it’s gone as fast as it’s—the vast majority of the American people never believed a word of it.

Well, I know you didn’t. And Clark [M.] Clifford told me, he said he read your radio speech.[note 3] Clark M. Clifford was a Washington lawyer; an adviser to presidents Truman, Kennedy, and Johnson; a member of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board from 1961 to 1968; chair of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board from April 1963 to February 1968; and U.S. secretary of defense from March 1968 to January 1969. And he said, “Well, only Harry Truman can do this. They come and go from [George] Washington, [Thomas] Jefferson, and [Andrew] Jackson, but there’s just one Harry Truman.[note 4] George Washington was a Virginia delegate to the First Continental Congress; commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from June 1775 to December 1783; and president of the United States from April 1789 to March 1797. Thomas Jefferson was U.S. secretary of state from March 1790 to December 1793; vice president of the United States from March 1797 to March 1801; and president of the United States from March 1801 to March 1809. Andrew Jackson was a U.S. representative [DR–Tennessee] from December 1796 to September 1797; a U.S. senator [DR–Tennessee] from September 1797 to April 1798 and March 1823 to October 1825; a justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court from June 1798 to June 1804; territorial governor of Florida from March 1821 to December 1821; and president of the United States from March 1829 to March 1837. I watched him all those years. And when they—when they—somebody else may bunt and get on base, but when you want a cleanup hitter, he comes along and parks it.”

[Laughs.] Well, you’re too kind to me. And so is he.

All your people have been awful loyal; I think you ought to know that. I think that everybody, [Truman attempts to interject] whether it’s Harry [H.] Vaughan, or [Charles S.] Charlie Murphy, or Clark Clifford, or—[note 5] Maj. Gen. Harry H. Vaughan was an officer of the U.S. Army Reserve; vice presidential aide in 1945; presidential aide from 1945 to 1953; and a close adviser to Harry S. Truman. Charles S. “Charlie” Murphy was White House counsel from January 1950 to January 1953; U.S. under secretary of agriculture from March 1961 to June 1965; chair of the Civil Aeronautics Board from June 1965 to March 1968; and White House coordinator for the transition to the Nixon presidency from 1968 to 1969.

Never was a finer bunch of fellows.

They work free, and they—

They would do anything—they’d do anything in the world they thought would help me, and I want them to do the same thing for you.

Clark Clifford thinks that you’re the greatest man that ever lived, and he worked free for me against his own interest, against his own firm, just day after day when they were trying to smear me, and—

I know that.

—and Charlie Murphy, and Donald [S.] Dawson, and Harry Vaughn.[note 6] Maj. Gen. Donald S. Dawson was a lawyer; an officer of the U.S. Air Force Reserve until 1970; and a presidential aide and advance man during the Truman administration. And I think you ought to know that you didn’t breed any of them that haven’t got the right bloodlines.

Well, I appreciate that. And the first chance I have, the first opportunity I have when I’m able to get around [in] good shape, I’m going to come to see you.

Will you promise me one thing?

Yes.

Tell Mrs. [Bess] Truman that we love her, but anything that you want or need . . .[note 7] Elizabeth V. “Bess” Truman was the wife of Harry S. Truman since 1919, and the first lady of the United States from April 1945 to January 1953.

You tell her.

All right, you just—let me tell her.

Hello?

Mrs. Truman?

Oh! Mr. President!

I was just—

Oh! We’re so happy!

Oh, I know you are. And y’all are as responsible far as any two in the nation—the wonderful work that you’ve done and the great help he’s been to me, and—

Well, now, that’s mighty wonderful to hear you say that.

No, but that’s true. He never—he’s always had time for me, and he’s always—

Well, he, of course, he would have. Naturally.

He’s always thought more of his party and his friends than he has for himself, and you make him watch himself, now, ‘cause—

Oh, I’m trying to.

—he’s no spring chicken.

[laughing] No, he clearly isn’t.

Now, I want to tell you one thing, though.

Yes.

And I want you to hear it. I’ve said this ever since I became president, but I want to reiterate it, and I don’t want to overdo it, but anything that he wants, or he needs, or that somebody suspects would be good for him, from doctors, to planes, to coming to the White House for a few days, bringing his grandchildren, going anyplace, anybody that you want to consult with that we have, all you need to do is just drop me a postcard, [Bess Truman acknowledges] because the facilities that—every power and every purpose and every facility of this government is at his disposal as long as I’m around.

Oh, well, that’s just marvelous of you.

And he’s modest—

[Unclear] remember that.[note 8] In the unclear passage, Bess Truman may have said “Sweet of you to remember that” or “Pleased that you remember that.”

He’s modest, and I’m going to depend on you, now, to say, “I want you to send a couple of specialists out here, quietly, and put them in a plane.” Or “I want to have a plane out here; we want to go to New York.” [Bess Truman exclaims.] Or “I want to do this or that.” And I’ve told him that four or five times, but he don’t pay any attention to me.

[Laughs.] Well, it’s mighty good of you to want to do that.

Well, I’ve already ordered it done.

And I certainly shall remember it.

And if he needs any more help of any kind, that—with—out there, you just please let me know, and it’ll be available.

Well, thanks a million.

And—

And do give my love to Mrs. [Lady Bird] Johnson.[note 9] Lady Bird Johnson (née Claudia Alta Taylor) was the wife of Lyndon B. Johnson since 1934; second lady of the United States from January 1961 to November 1963; and first lady of the United States from November 1963 to January 1969.

We love you both, and thank you for calling.

Well, my [unclear].

Bye.

[softly] Bye.