Chris Melton

🇺🇸 Most Badass Presidents: Combat Veteran Edition #10 Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman, our 33rd President, was one badass President. He was a hard-nosed leader of men. Born May 8, 1884, in Lamar, Missouri. Truman dreamed of attending West Point but was rejected because of his terrible vision. In 1917, determined to fight, he went to the military eye exam and memorized the letters beforehand. He passed and hid his eyeglasses until he was sworn in. He became captain and took command of Battery D, 129th Field Artillery. The unit was a wild bunch of Irish and German Catholics known for drinking and brawling. They were already nicknamed the “Dizzy D.” Truman busted half the NCOs on his first day and promoted the loyal ones. He quickly whipped them into a top-tier unit, setting regimental records for firing accuracy. His unit travelled to France on the USS George Washington. August 29, 1918, in France's Vosges Mountains, German artillery smashed into Truman's position. Soldiers panicked, threw on their gas masks, and fled. The famous “Battle of Who Run” A shell exploded just 15 feet from Truman, killing his horse and trapping him beneath it. Once freed, he witnessed his men scattering in the dark. Truman stood in the open and unleashed a blistering string of railroad-style curses that shocked the men back to their guns. This moment forged the unit. It became Battery D legend. His battery then moved to the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. In the chaos of battle, they pushed their guns so far forward that Battery D was sometimes positioned 200 yards ahead of the American infantry. Truman’s men fired their 75mm cannons so rapidly that the metal gun barrels began to overheat and warp. The crew wrapped the barrels in wet blankets for ten minutes out of every hour to cool them down. Truman spotted a German artillery battery setting up across a river. The Germans were positioned to ambush the neighboring U.S. 28th Division. Truman's strict orders confined his targeting to his own sector. He didn’t care. He waited until the German soldiers unhitched their horses so they couldn't escape, then ordered Battery D to open fire, completely destroying the enemy. His commander, Colonel Karl Klemm, flew into a rage over the insubordination and threatened Truman with a court-martial. Because Truman's illegal strike saved countless American lives, the threat was quietly dropped. The next day, Truman was faced with the same exact scenario. He defied orders again to save American lives. General Pershing stepped in this time and had the rules changed to allow it. His battery then worked together with George Patton’s tanks near Cheppy that allowed them to break through. Truman’s Battery D was only 150 yards forward of the exact spot where Patton was later shot and wounded. They were credited with completely wiping out or forcing the permanent abandonment of two entire German field artillery batteries that were pinning Patton's forces down. Under his command Battery D suffered no combat deaths and fired over 10,000 rounds. His battery fired some of the last shots of the war on November 11, 1918, up to the last minutes before the armistice. On the ship ride home from Europe, the men of Battery D pooled together money won from a massive shipboard craps game. They bought Truman a large "loving cup" trophy inscribed: "Presented by the Members of Battery D in appreciation of his justice, ability and leadership." He was the only U.S. president to see combat in World War I. Truman again volunteered for active duty in 1941. He was refused. He remained in the Army Reserve thru his Presidency and officially retired as a Colonel in 1953. The 129th honors him today with a Battery D - the only Battery D in the entire US Army. He fought for the Republic long before he ever stepped foot in the White House. Thank you, Mr. President! 🇺🇸🫡

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