The first reason for my vote was selfish. Making the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, Truman sought an early end to the fighting in the Pacific. When the first bomb didn't bring the Japanese to the surrender table, Truman calmly dropped the second shortly afterwards. That bomb was persuasive; Japan surrendered and Larry Pedrick was spared the invasion of Japan on his landing craft. He returned home and became my husband.

My second reason for admiring Truman was more realistic at the time. Germany had surrendered and three nations occupied zones in the country, with Britain, Russia and the U.S. sharing occupation of Berlin. But the Soviet Union under Stalin was already advancing its Communist agenda for expansion. It attempted to close Berlin to the other two occupiers so it could expand its domination. Berlin faced starvation; no trucks were allowed through the Soviet zone to bring supplies. Truman made the decision to supply Berlin via the mighty armada that had bombed Germany to its knees. The Berlin Airlift saved the people of Berlin.

The Marshall Plan is another of Truman's brave decisions. Many of the countries who had just fought a war to save the world from the Nazi regime, with their war-weakened economies threatening to collapse, were about to lose their independence to the Communists, as well. Beginning with Greece and Turkey, the Marshall Plan pulled most of free Europe to safety, preserving democracy in the former allies.
There are many other success -- and failures -- that could be cited in the Presidency of Harry Truman. For at least these three personal ones, I am glad I cast my first vote for a man who history continues to push up the ladder of successful leaders.

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