With the war over, Harry now joined the ranks of the unemployed.
His friend, Eddie Jacobson, who was also unemployed, suggested they go into business together.
Just before Christmas, they opened a little habadashery shop selling gents furnishings.
Kansas City had become famous for its jazz bands.
Harry didn't much care for the music, and he had never learned to dance, but it was good for business.
Harry and Eddie made a good team. They worked hard from 8 in the morning to 9 at night, but it was a struggle.
In 1922, caught in the postwar recession, the business went under.
Harry was 38 years old, and in deep debt.
"Went into business all enthusiastic," he wrote. "Lost all I had and all I could borrow. Feeling fairly blue." But all that was about to change...
Jim Pendergast, another old army buddy, thought Truman's war record might make him a good political candidate. So he called his Uncle Tom.
Tom Pendergast, a rather unsavory character, was involved in a number of illegal activities...gun-running, prostitution, bootlegging and narcotics.
He was a hard drinker, and reckless gambler who lost millions on the ponies.
Besides illegal activites, he was also involved in politics. He built a political machine so strong that one day some would call Kansas City "Tom's town".
Pendergast manipulated Jackson County politics. He needed a candidate for County Commission, or Judge, as the position was called. He chose war hero Harry Truman.
Harry agreed. Pendergast was "perfuming" his machine by choosing someone with integrity, and who had the support of the veterans from WWI.
But Pendergast didn't have total control of Jackson County, so Truman would have to campaign hard, and he was green. He depended on Pendergast, his war record, and the boys from Battery D.
The boys from Battery D went all out to support their Captain by campaigning and cheering at all the rallies.
One time they thought he should make a dramatic entrance to one of the rallies. So they got a plane and had one of the men fly Harry in.
When they landed, Harry immediately went to a nearby fence, and threw up.
Don't know if you can read it on not, but he actually believed in a day's work for a day's pay. Also fewer automobiles and more work for county employees. Hmmm, don't know if he'd be too popular today....not.
Harry had finally found what he wanted to do. He wasn't much of a speaker, but he liked politics. He had found his niche.
He won this first time by 279 votes. He was now on his way.
