Pres. Truman and the 1945 Christmas message

We go back and remember a president at a critical time in US history.

Today, we remember Pres. Truman and Christmas 1945.

It was Christmas 1945 and President Truman had just completed an incredible year.

He became president after FDR's death in April.

He led the US to victory in Europe:
Listen to Truman's broadcast to the American people announcing the surrender of Germany, May 8, 1945

He dropped two bombs on Japan:
Listen to Truman's radio address to the American people after the signing of the terms of unconditional surrender by Japan, September 1, 1945

It was an amazing year for a man nobody knew the year before.

This is what Pres. Truman said many years ago:

Ladies and gentlemen, and listeners of the radio audience:
This is the Christmas that a war-weary world has prayed for through long and awful years. With peace come joy and gladness.

The gloom of the war years fades as once more we light the National Community Christmas Tree.

We meet in the spirit of the first Christmas, when the midnight choir sang the hymn of joy:

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Let us not forget that the coming of the Saviour brought a time of long peace to the Roman World.

It is, therefore, fitting for us to remember that the spirit of Christmas is the spirit of peace, of love, of charity to all men.

From the manger of Bethlehem came a new appeal to the minds and hearts of men:

"A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another.
"In love, which is the very essence of the message of the Prince of Peace, the world would find a solution for all its ills.

I do not believe there is one problem in this country or in the world today which could not be settled if approached through the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount.

The poets' dream, the lesson of priest and patriarch and the prophets' vision of a new heaven and a new earth, all are summed up in the message delivered in the Judean hills beside the Sea of Galilee.

Would that the world would accept that message in this time of its greatest need!This is a solemn hour.

In the stillness of the Eve of the Nativity when the hopes of mankind hang on the peace that was offered to the world nineteen centuries ago, it is but natural, while we survey our destiny, that we give thought also to our past--to some of the things which have gone into the making of our Nation.
You will remember that Saint Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, and his companions, suffering shipwreck, "cast four anchors out of the stern and wished for the day."

Happily for us, whenever the American Ship of State has been storm-tossed we have always had an anchor to the windward.
We are met on the South Lawn of the White House. The setting is a reminder of Saint Paul's four anchors.

To one side is the massive pile of the Washington Monument--fit symbol of our first anchor.

On the opposite end of Potomac Park is the memorial to another of the anchors which we see when we look astern of the Ship of State--Abraham Lincoln, who preserved the Union that Washington wrought.
Between them is the memorial to Thomas Jefferson, the anchor of democracy.

On the other side of the White House, in bronze, rides Andrew Jackson--fourth of our anchors--the pedestal of his monument bearing his immortal words:

"Our Federal Union--it must be preserved."
It is well in this solemn hour that we bow to Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, and Lincoln as we face our destiny with its hopes and fears-its burdens and its responsibilities.

Out of the past we shall gather wisdom and inspiration to chart our future course.
With our enemies vanquished we must gird ourselves for the work that lies ahead. Peace has its victories no less hard won than success at arms. We must not fail or falter.

We must strive without ceasing to make real the prophecy of Isaiah:

"They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
In this day, whether it be far or near, the Kingdoms of this world shall become indeed the Kingdom of God and He will reign forever and ever, Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

With that message I wish my countrymen a Merry Christmas and joyous days in the New Year.

So we remember one of the great leaders of the past, President Truman of Missouri.

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

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1975: The era of baseball free agency begins!

On this day in 1975, a landmark decision made Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith a couple of free agent players.    

McNally retired after the decision and Messersmith signed with the Dodgers.     McNally was traded by Baltimore after the 1974 season.   Messersmith had pitched for the Braves.  

Neither man benefited much from free agency but they did challenge the rule and won in the courts.

The real free agent class came after the 1976 season, when Reggie Jackson, Joe Rudi, Don Baylor and others negotiated their own contracts.

It was a big day for the players and vindication for Curt Flood who sat out an entire season in protest of the reserve clause.

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Christmas 1967: "Hello Goodbye" was # 1 for The Beatles

The Beatles and "Hello Goodbye) was # 1 song this week of Christmas 1967.   It was from the LP "Magical Mystery Tour" but did not appear in the TV special by that name.    

You can click HERE to buy the album.

HELLO GOODBYE

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1975: Fred Lynn MVP & Rookie of the Year

Fred Lynn set the baseball world on fire in 1975.   He was voted Rookie of the Year and MVP.   His numbers were awesome:  .331 BA with 21 HR and 105 RBI.    

Lynn was the first player to win both awards in one season.    He was also a key player in Boston winning the AL pennant.   Cincinnati beat Boston in a dramatic 7-game series.   

Lynn had a pretty career beyond that rookie year.  He won a batting title in 1979 plus some great numbers over 17 seasons: .283 average, 306 HR, 1,111 RBI, 1,960 hits in 1,969 games.

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Truman 1948, an amazing campaign

This is a good time to remember another anniversary of Truman vs Dewey, the biggest upset in presidential election history.   Or should I say, the biggest upset until Trump in 2016.  

On election day 1948, most experts picked Governor Thomas Dewey of New York over President Harry Truman.  It turned out to be different.   Let’s see if this sounds familiar:  

He traveled to America’s cities and towns, fighting to win over undecided voters by portraying himself as an outsider contending with a “do-nothing” Congress. 

It was a shock, an upset!  I’ve heard stories that people went to bed thinking that it was over and woke up to the shocker.

The Chicago Tribune was so certain that they went to print with the headline: “Dewey beats Truman.”  It produced one of the greatest photos of the 20th century.

What is the lesson of 1948?  I see a few:

First, wait until all of the votes are counted.  It sounds silly but it’s true;

Second, there is something about a man who works hard and goes from rally to rally asking people for their votes.  I admire that.  

1948 a great surprise!

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1975, Game 6 and that late night Fisk homerun!

We remember today another anniversary of Carlton Fisk’s 12th inning home run to win game 6 of the 1975 classic between Boston and Cincinnati.

I stayed up and watched the homer, the celebration, the post game interviews and then hit the pillow to wake up at at 6 am!

The Reds won game 7 the next night!

Game 6 had so much drama, from that 8th inning home run to tie the game, the bottom of the 9th double play to kill a Red Sox rally, the catch in right field, great pitching and that 12th inning homer.

It was great baseball, just great baseball! 

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August 21, 1975: Rick And Paul Reuschel combined for a shutout

We've seen brothers play together on major league teams.   The Ripkens played with the Orioles.   Paul & Dizzy Dean pitched with the Cardinals.

On this day in 1975, the Reuschel brothers pitched a shutout.    Rick pitched into the 7th and brother Paul came in to finish the shutout.

Brothers make history?  I guess there's always the potential for a little history when you go to the ball park.

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How a "bridge" inspired "Jive talkin'" by The Bee Gees

Back in the summer of 1975, I was driving between Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  I had my left hand on the steering wheel and the other searching for WLS Chicago, the big top 40 station of the Midwest.  

And then I heard "Jive talkin'" for the first time.

My first reaction was that they were saying "child talking".

Second, I knew that it was The Bee Gees because I instantly identified Barry's voice.

Third, I knew that this was a very different sound from the Gibb brothers.

A week later, I got my hands on the 45 and it is still one of my favorite tunes from the 1970's.

According to song facts, the very unique intro was inspired by the sound of crossing a bridge in Florida. 

Great song and one of their many #1 songs!

Click here for the digital version of the song and the "Main course" LP.

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"Country lanes", one of the best ones from The Bee Gees

"Country Lanes" was released June 1975 as one of a dozen new tunes from the Main Course album.   

It was the B-side of "Fanny, be tender with my love", released as the 3rd top 10 single out of that great album. I recall playing it many times at the school cafeteria jukebox.

Unfortunately, it was buried along big hits like "Jive Talkin" and "Nights on Broadway".

There were so many great songs on Main Course, including "Come on Over" which was recorded by Olivia Newton-John, "Wind of Change", and "At the edge of the universe".

Years later, "Country Lanes" is still one of my favorite Bee Gees' songs.

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June 1975: "Main Course"....Bee Gees....... https://t.co/RpfXQsz0KZ via @amazon

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) June 6, 2017

May 20, 1902: Happy Cuba Independence Day

(My new AT post.  See the post for links and references)

It was 119 years ago today that the Cuban flag went up in the island after the four-year U.S. occupation and 400 years of Spanish rule.   By the way, both of my paternal grandparents were born in 1892, and their birth certificates showed that they were citizens of the Spanish Crown, or whatever was left of it by that time.  Let's just say that the late 19th century was not the highlight of Spain's history.  They lost most of Latin America to independence and hung on to Cuba by a bit.

This is also a good day to remember what my late parents told me about Cuba.  

They recalled the elegance of Havana and how nice the country was. 

They never said that it was perfect, but certainly not "the underdeveloped country" narrative that Castro & the left have been preaching for years.  

That was pre-Castro Cuba, as Mark Milke wrote:   

Of the many myths that some offer up about Fidel Castro's Cuba, one tale is that despite Mr. Castro's repression, he improved a few social programs.

Thus, in his statement on Mr. Castro's death, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted "significant improvements" in Cuban health care and education under the totalitarian tutelage of Fidel Castro.

An inconvenient fact: Pre-Castro, Cuba was already better off than most Latin American countries on such indicators. 

Also, Mr. Castro's rule knocked Cubans to the near-economic bottom of all Latin American countries, with subsequent negative effects on Cuba's much-vaunted social model.

In other words, pre-Castro Cuba was a much better place to live than post-1959.

On behalf of the many who have died in political prisons or were executed by the Castro regime, let me say that we are looking forward to another independence day.   

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May 6, 1915: Ruth hit # 1 on his way to 714...

 

May 6, 1915: Babe Ruth hit his first home run......http://t.co/zpQxuGxq3i via @BostonGlobe

1975: The fall of Saigon that did not have to happen

Back in 1975, I was in college trying to pass my classes and looking at some job offers in the local banks.  As I recall, the economy was okay for college graduates but the word “recession” was mentioned in some circles.  Watergate was behind us and the new President Gerald Ford was months away from facing a challenge from the former Governor Ronald Reagan of California.

During my time away from school work, I was dancing to Van McCoy’s “The hustle“, enjoying Elton John’s “Philadelphia Freedom” and laughing to tears watching “Monty Python and the Holy Grail“.

Over in Vietnam, the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong walked into Saigon and we’ve known it as “Ho Chi Minh City” ever since.

They walked in because the South Vietnam army, our ally, was totally overmatched by large and ruthless divisions pouring from the North. 

As a South Vietnamese soldier told me a few years later, they killed everybody that they suspected of supporting the government in Saigon. They didn’t care whether it was man, woman, or child.

The tragedy of Vietnam is that the USSR could not believe that we let South Vietnam collapse in 1975, as Stephen J. Morris wrote on the 30th anniversary of the disintegration of Saigon:

If the United States had provided that level of support in 1975, when South Vietnam collapsed in the face of another North Vietnamese offensive, the outcome might have been at least the same as in 1972. 

But intense lobbying of Congress by the antiwar movement, especially in the context of the Watergate scandal, helped to drive cutbacks of American aid in 1974. 

Combined with the impact of the world oil crisis and inflation of 1973-74, the results were devastating for the south. 

As the triumphant North Vietnamese commander, Gen. Van Tien Dung, wrote later, President Nguyen Van Thieu of South Vietnam was forced to fight “a poor man’s war.”

Even Hanoi’s main patron, the Soviet Union, was convinced that a North Vietnamese military victory was highly unlikely. 

Evidence from Soviet Communist Party archives suggests that, until 1974, Soviet military intelligence analysts and diplomats never believed that the North Vietnamese would be victorious on the battlefield. Only political and diplomatic efforts could succeed. 

Moscow thought that the South Vietnamese government was strong enough to defend itself with a continuation of American logistical support. 

The former Soviet chargé d’affaires in Hanoi during the 1970’s told me in Moscow in late 1993 that if one looked at the balance of forces, one could not predict that the South would be defeated. 

Until 1975, Moscow was not only impressed by American military power and political will, it also clearly had no desire to go to war with the United States over Vietnam. 

But after 1975, Soviet fear of the United States dissipated.

Again, it could have turned out very differently, especially for the many who served in Vietnam.  They won the battles, and the politicians lost the peace.   

So let remember today the generation drafted to fight a war that we chose to lose.  And let’s not forget the millions slaughtered by the communists in Vietnam and later in Cambodia.

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Read more: https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/05/the_fall_of_saigon.html#ixzz6LHX7N4C7

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"No more Vietnams" and a bit of wisdom from President Nixon

It was many years ago that North Vietnamese troops marched into Saigon in the spring of 1975.   Their victory was followed by concentration camps, political prisons and the death of thousands of pro-US supporters.

In other words, we let them down. We walked away and let a superior North Vietnamese army overrun our friends.

President Nixon wrote a wonderful book in '85 called "No more Vietnams".   It was a review of the war and the mistakes made along the way.  It should be read by everyone, specially the left that looked the other way when the communists murdered thousands in Vietnam and Cambodia.

It's a great book.

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April 8, 1975: Frank Robinson hits a HR in his first at bat as player/manager

At the end of the 1974 season, Cleveland announced that Frank Robinson would manage the Indians in 1975.  He became the first black player/manager in major league history.   

On opening day 1975, Frank hit a HR in his first at bat in the dual role.   It was a great way to break into the job.

Robinson managed Cleveland, San Francisco, Baltimore and retired with Washington.  He never took a team to the post season but he was the first base coach for the Orioles in the 1979 World Series.    As a player, he played in 5 World Series and won the MVP in both leagues.

Frank died in 2019.

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March 2012: Robert Kent's amazing Cuba story

Guest: Robert Kent, NY City librarian. He told us the story of his trips to Cuba to support the independent library movement in the island. Robert was arrested in 1999 in Cuba.

Click below for the show.



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Nat King Cole died on this day in 1965

We remember Nat King Cole, who died on this day in 1965.

He started with a trio but became one of the most popular vocalists in the world.  His hits included "Unforgettable", "Mona Lisa" and "Nature boy".

He also recorded a Spanish album in Havana in 1957.  It is one of the nicest Spanish albums ever recorded.  

Cole died in 1965 from cancer but his music lives on.

Frankly, no one can sing a love song like Nat King Cole.    His music is now available in a digital format:  The Very Best Of Nat King Cole & Spanish album.

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1809: Abraham Lincoln born in modern day Kentucky

This is how Abraham Lincoln remembered his birthday:

"I was born Feb. 12. 1809 in then Hardin county Kentucky," wrote Lincoln in June 1860 for Thomas Hicks, "at a point within the now recently formed county of Larue, a mile, or a mile & a half from where Hodgin'sville now is. My parents being dead and my own memory not serving, I know no means of identifying the precise locality. It was on Nolin Creek." [Thomas Lincoln possessed 348½ acres of land when Abraham was born. Abraham's birthplace is approximately three miles south of present day Hodgenville, on Nolin River.] Memorandum Concerning His Birthplace, 14 June 1860, CW, 4:75-76."

The Lincoln Log is a wonderful website. It is a day by day log of the president's life.   

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Abraham Lincoln was born on this day in 1809

Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809.

We will have many celebrations across the land.   Lincoln was a great man.  The Lincoln monument was the highlight of my visit to DC many years ago.

It's hard to pick a favorite quote from Lincoln. I like this one from the 2nd inaugural speech, about a month before his assassination:

"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).   There are many books about Abraham Lincoln.   Let me recommend this one: