Harry Truman to Comrade on Report on Japan, Pacific and

Harry Truman Thanks Former World War I Comrade for Report on Pacific and Asian Areas

Former President Harry S. Truman thanks a former member of his World War I battery for reports from his recent trip to several Pacific islands and Asian nations and discusses a recent Meet the Press interview with Senator Stuart Symington.

HARRY S. TRUMAN, Typed Letter Signed, to Fred J. Bowman, January 19, 1960, Independence, Missouri. With handwritten postscript. 1 p. + envelope with printed franking signature on envelope, 7.25ʺ x 10.5ʺ, on "Harry S Truman / Independence, Missouri" stationery. Very good.

Excerpt
"You do not know how very much I appreciated your letter of January 16 with the summary reports which you made on the Hawaiian Islands, Wake Island, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Pakistan and the Philippines. This is the most interesting and important document I have received in many a day. It gives me an idea of things exactly as they are. I hope the next time you take a trip you will let me know about it and I will give you some more letters of introduction because you have really done a service for me that is invaluable."

[Handwritten postscript:] "My best to Mrs. B. in which Mrs. T joins. Glad you liked Stu on Meet the Press. So did I!"

Historical Background
On Sunday, January 10, 1960, Democratic U.S. Senator from Missouri Stuart Symington (1901-1988) appeared on Meet the Press, a weekly American television news/interview program on NBC. It is the longest running program on American television, having begun in November 1947. Symington at the time was chairman of the Special Agriculture Investigating Subcommittee, a proponent of reorganizing the Defense Department, and a frequently mentioned possible Democratic nominee for President. He served as the first Secretary of the Air Force, during Truman’s administration. Although backed by Truman, Symington lost the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination to John F. Kennedy.

Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) was born in Missouri and joined the Missouri National Guard in 1905. He served in World War I as a lieutenant and then captain in the 129th Field Artillery in France. Truman first won elective office in 1922, winning a judge's seat on the Jackson County Court. After serving several terms, Truman was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1934, and in 1940 gained national attention for his chairmanship of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program, which was eventually nicknamed "The Truman Committee." Truman continued his political rise in 1944, when he was elected Vice-President as Franklin D. Roosevelt's running mate. After only 82 days as Vice President, Truman was thrust into the Presidency when Roosevelt died unexpectedly. His inheritance was a world at war. Germany had surrendered, but Japan refused to give up the war. Truman, in a desperate move to avoid having to invade the Japanese mainland, ordered the deployment of two atomic bombs. They were dropped on August 6 and August 9, 1945. Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945. As President, Truman waged an undeclared war on the Soviet Union, drafting the "Truman Doctrine," which proclaimed the United States' willingness to provide aid to countries resisting communism. The Marshall Plan sought to strengthen the European economy in the hopes that this program, too, would prevent the spread of Soviet influence. Elected President for a full term in 1948, he also brought United States troops into the Korean War (1950-1953). In addition to his cold war activities, Truman's administration expanded the New Deal and promoted Civil Rights initiatives.

Frederick J. Bowman (1895-1982) was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and served in the National Guard. When World War I began, he was called up as part of Battery D in the 129th Field Artillery Regiment, commanded by Captain Harry S. Truman. When he returned from Europe, Bowman went to work for the Lowe and Campbell Athletic Goods Company in Kansas City. In 1930, the company merged with the Wilson Sporting Goods Company of Chicago and another company. After a few more years, he moved to Chicago as vice president of auditing and accounting and then vice president of manufacturing. In 1950, he was appointed president of Wilson Sporting Goods, a position he held until his retirement in 1960.

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