by Doctor W. Gifford Jones
November 9, 2004
In November 1946, President Harry S. Truman had served 19 grueling months in office. He had faced the momentous decision to drop the atomic bomb and it had taken a toll on the Chief Executive’s health. Truman’s doctor ordered a vacation in the sun and Fleet Admiral Chester A Nimitz suggested the commandant’s house at the Key West naval station. It was a location that offered maximum security and complete privacy. It was also the right cure for Truman.
So what has this to do with me? I’ve also had a grueling time. I’ve written a medical column 52 weeks of the year for 29 years without missing a single week. So it was a shoo-in to convince myself that I was brain weary, needed a holiday in the sun, and why not the Florida Keys? It was also the right cure for me.
My wife and I took the easy way to reach the Keys. A flight from Toronto to Miami and then a short hop to Key West. We found the Keys more laid back than the rest of Florida and the architecture reminded us of the French section of New Orleans. And how could Key West not be cozy when it’s only 4 miles long and a mile and a half wide?
What reaction did we bring home? Who wouldn’t enjoy the sun, the beaches, shrimp and moonlight cruises after a long winter? But there were two strong memories. One was Truman’s "Little White House" in Key West.
I’ve always admired Harry Truman’s style of shooting from the hip. He often said, "I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell!" After becoming President he remarked, "My early choice in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference!" And when asked about President Richard Nixon, he said, "He’s a shifty-eyed goddamn liar. He’s one of the few people in the history of this country to run for high office who can talk out of both sides of his mouth at the same time and lying out of both sides."
Truman loved The Little White House in Key West. Soon after he arrived he wrote to his wife, Bess, "This place is what I hoped it would be and what I was certain it would not be. I’ve just returned from the beach and my cough and cold are nearly gone."
A tour through The Little White House tells you a lot about Truman’s down-to-earth background. Here was a man who had the power to order the use of the atomic bomb, but he also listened to his mother. In his bedroom there was a day bed where he took afternoon naps. This bed was utilized because his mother had taught him never to sleep on an already made bed. Staff meetings were held in the living room and in one corner a small desk boasts Truman’s famous sign, "The Buck Stops Here."
The poker room is another major feature of The Little White House. Here Truman spent many relaxing evenings playing poker and cards with his staff. Ashtrays from shell casings are fixtures of the poker table. And since Truman liked his whiskey, the navy built a bar at the end of the room. But Bess was not amused. She always referred to the room as "that smelly little tavern." She could have added "Harry, it’s also not good for your health".
Hemingway’s house in Key West was another major attraction. The house remains much the same as when "Papa" lived there. His life is legendary. He drank hard and spent much of his time in Sloppy Joe’s Bar where liquor was cheap and fights were common. Since he had four wives there must have been other altercations. But in Key West, Hemingway wrote his world-famous books, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Death in the Afternoon and The Green Hills Of Africa. And yes, I did go to Sloppy Joe’s bar, briefly. The compressed humanity and noise drove me out. Hemingway, who suffered from depression, ended his life with a shotgun in Idaho in 1961.
Key West, because of it’s size, is a "walk-around" town with several interesting areas, particularly the harbour front walk. And as a former ship’s surgeon I enjoyed seeing the cruise ships come in every day, only a few feet from our balcony at the Ocean Key Resort. It’s a great location where everyone comes to see the sunset.
Prior to leaving for the Keys, our children gave us an assignment. Find a resort that’s great for children. So after leaving Key West we toured the keys from one end to the other and couldn’t find a better one that Hawk’s Cay at Duck Key. An excellent beach , porpoises and lots of action keep children amused. The first night there we also discovered Truman’s bar, named after his visit to Duck Key in 1964. But there was no poker table!
While touring the Keys we wondered why we had been to Florida several times without travelling to the Keys. President Truman returned to Key West 11 times. I won’t beat that record but I intend to return.
But a medical journalist couldn’t go to the Keys without doing some research. Loving shrimps we ate at one restaurant that advertised "All you can eat". The waitress brought each of us a basket loaded with all the shrimps, we could possibly eat. So I asked her, "How many people ask for another basket?" She replied, "95 per cent". That lead to the next obvious question, "How many ask for a third basket?" She replied, "Most ask for a few more shrimp". That marked the end of the holiday research, and surrender in the fight against the obesity epidemic.
Dr. W. Gifford Jones can be reached at giffordjones@sympatico.ca