I have lived through 14 presidents.  I find it interesting how much of history people forget--or maybe they never knew?  Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president when I was born.  He was in his second term--having been president since 1933.  I was born in 1938, and was seven years old when he died.  I remember.  The war was not yet over, and the people of America were very unsettled.  Roosevelt was in his fourth term as president--an unprecedented accomplishment.  (Now presidents are limited to two terms.)

When you live through something, you know what happened--which is not what the history books write about it later.  I know what it feels like to have FDR as president.  It affected everyone in the country, my folks included.  My family talked about events with other family members.  I grew up hearing very intelligent discussions about politics.  About the economy.  About war.   Roosevelt was revered by almost everyone in America after we got into WW2.

But the president I remember the most about was Truman.  He was president from the time I was seven, until I was fifteen.  I watched him be very decisive about dropping the A-bomb to end WW2 before more Americans died.  Japan had been defeated, but refused to give up.  He later sent troops into Korea to stop the move of Communism there.  He became President when FDR died in office, and was later elected to a second term, serving from 1945 to 1953.

I voted for the first time for the next president, Eisenhower.  I didn't tell my grandmother.  She would have disowned me.  She was a dyed in the wool Democrat.  But Eisenhower was a hero, and I was much impressed by heroes at that age.  I voted Independant once--Ken knew the VP in that party--he played football with him in Pensacola. Through many elections, I have voted.  Sometimes one way, sometimes another.  I have tried to understand the issues, knowing that I was going to be disappointed in the results of my vote.  Democrats are not Democrats anymore.  Republicans are not Republicans anymore either.  I don't know what has happened to either party.  I lived through a time when the presidents tried to do what was right--in as much as they knew how.

God please protect us from almost all of the politicians of this age.  God please lead our nation as you have in the past.  Help our leaders figure out what they need to do to keep us out of war.