ON THE DAY OF THE GERMAN SURRENDER, PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN REFERENCES HIS MESSAGE TO CONGRESS URGING AMERICA TO FIGHT ON

ON THE DAY OF THE GERMAN SURRENDER, PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN REFERENCES HIS MESSAGE TO CONGRESS URGING AMERICA TO FIGHT ON
ON THE DAY OF THE GERMAN SURRENDER PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN REFERENCES HIS MESSAGE TO CONGRESS URGING AMERICA TO FIGHT ON
A superb association letter written by President Harry Truman on the very day of the capitulation of Germany in which he references his speech before Congress eulogizing Franklin D. Roosevelt and urging Americans to carry on the fight - sent to film mogul Darryl F. Zanuck who would produce the epic war film The Longest Day! Truman’s letter is written on a 6 x 8 inch White House letterhead Washington May 7 1945 to Darryl F. Zanuck then Vice President of Twentieth Century Fox. Truman writes in part: “…I have read your letter of April sixteenth with sincere appreciation and your assurances of confidence have moved me deeply. It is helpful indeed to know that you liked my Message to Congress and that I can call upon you for any assistance in the days ahead…” Fine condition. President Franklin Roosevelt had died on April 12 1945 and Vice President Truman immediately assumed his office. In his stirring address to Congress Truman mentioned FDR’s burial the day before and urged his fellow Americans to continue steadfastly in their determined effort to crush the Axis powers. Only hours before Truman signed this letter Field Marshal Alfred Jodl signed the document surrendering Germany to the Allied powers! Of course Truman made no mention of the surrender – he would do so the following day after the political surrender in Berlin…and the world would rejoice. For his part Zanuck was a devoted American as well. Posted to London as chief U.S. Army liaison officer to the British Army film unit he studied army training films while under Nazi bombardment by the Luftwaffe during the Blitz. He even persuaded Lord Mountbatten to take him along on a secret coastal raid across the Channel to occupied France. 20th Century-Fox like the other studios contributed to the war effort by releasing a large number of their male stars for overseas service and many of their female stars for USO and war bond tours—while creating patriotic films. Surprisingly in 1944 Senator Truman called Zanuck into a Senate subcommittee investigating "instant" colonels concentrating on famous Hollywood names. Despite having worked under fire as did Col. Frank Capra Col. Anatole Litvak and Col. Hal Roach Zanuck was questioned…and then resigned his commission. Nevertheless in writing his letter it’s clear Zanuck had buried the hatchet for the good of his country. In 1962 he produced and directed the epic D-Day film “The Longest Day” a star-studded hit that garnered two Academy Awards.