Well, . . . . the arrangements [for President Truman's Pacific trip to meet General Douglas MacArthur] were made. We left here in two planes. The President went on his own plane. They left a day earlier than the other [on October 11] and he spent the night at home in Missouri. Then the second plane left here and we jointed forces . . . . at an airfield in California . . . and from there to Hawaii and from Hawaii to Wake Island . . . . I was on the other plane, General [Omar] Bradley was on the other plane, [Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs] Dean Rusk was on the other plane, it was a very respectable crowd you understand. [Special Assistant to the President W.] Averell Harriman was there . . . . Special Counsel to the President Charles Murphy Oral history interview, May 21, 1969

President Truman's airplane, the Independence (an Air Force C-118 aircraft). Photo: The Album, The President's Trip to Wake Island, October 11, 1950. Source: Truman Library.

The President traveled on the Independence. We were on the Dew Drop (a Constellation plane which had been readied for Governor Thomas E. Dewey, had he been successful in the Presidential race in 1948). A third plane, a Pan American charter, carried about 35 selected representatives of the news media. This plane always preceded us by about an hour, so that the press greeted us on the ground on each leg of the Journey. We understood the Wake Island meeting was then the most expensive news story in the history of journalism. The media plane alone incurred expenses of some $40,000. I am sure even that initial cost is minuscule compared to present expenses of covering an international Presidential mission. . . . There was a very distinguished group on our plane: General of the Army Omar N. Bradley (USA), Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; Ambassador W. Averell Harriman, Special Assistant to the President; Mr. Frank Pace, Jr., Secretary of the Army; Mr. Dean Rusk, Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs. Also along were several staff officers including General Bradley's Executive Officer, Colonel Willis S. Matthews (USA) (later a General Officer); Major Vernon A. Walters, an aide to Ambassador Harriman (who had served as an interpreter for both him and Ambassador Charles E. Bohlen on many international conferences and assignments in Moscow, for he fluently spoke eight languages; and later also became an Ambassador.) Another passenger was Mr. Charles Collingwood, representing the Columbia Broadcasting System, who had "missed" the press plane. My Wake trip diary says of him: "I was quite impressed with Charles Collingwood's attire--'dapper,' my friend, Henry Brandon [London Observer], would say. He wore gray flannel trousers, plaid jacket of gray, blue, white, and red, white shirt with red tie, huge gold cuff links, blue suede moccasins, gray wool socks with blue and red side trim." This may sound like a drab attire by today's standards, but, compared to the traditional dark pin stripes of the Department, in those days it was strikingly colorful. We left Washington National Airport at 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 12. After dinner in flight, the gentlemen settled down to the major task at hand, drafting the President's San Francisco report to the Nation. Writing a speech by committee was quite a revelation to Mr. Collingwood! About this activity I noted in my diary: "Before we had gained altitude, Mr. Pace counted bridge-playing noses--found several; Mr. Murphy counted speechwriting noses and declared first priority." Personal Secretary to the Ambassador at Large Vernice Anderson Oral history interview, February 2, 1971

Whenever there was any work to be done, Dean Rusk and Phil Jessup and General Bradley were ready to go to work. It didn't make any difference what it was, they didn't stand on their pride or dignity and hold back. We worked some on the way out on the speech that the President might make on the way back when we got to California, and then we finished that on the way back and he did make a speech in California reporting on the trip [discuss the situation in Korea and the Far East with his commander, General MacArthur]. Special Counsel to the President Charles Murphy Oral history interview, May 21, 1969

I went to St. Louis on Wednesday and took part in [the President's sister] Mary's installation as Grand Matron of the Eastern Star. Vivian [the President's brother], Luella and Martha Ann were present too. Bess couldn't leave because of her mother and my singing daughter had a contract engagement. Vivian, Martha Ann and I took part in the ceremony before some 14,000 spectators and I guess it went off well. As you know a relative of mine has a hell of a time doing anything on his own. But Mary did a very good job of it. . I left St. Louis at 2:30 central time and flew over the Rockies at 20,000 feet. They looked just like high hills. . . . We landed at Fairfield Airport at 7:15 - six hours and forty-five minutes out of St. Louis - 1715 miles. Talk about seven league boots I've got 'em. . President Harry S. Truman Harry Truman to Nellie Noland, October 13, 1950 Papers of Mary Ethel Noland

We arrived at about 9:30 p.m. at Fairfield-Suisun Air Force Base [now Travis Air Force Base] in northern California. There the President visited Korean casualties at the station hospital (whom Harpo Marx had entertained earlier in the day), while the planes were refueled. . . . At that time no one was giving out any real information about the trip. Even the "X" destination of the correspondent's tickets was not identified as Wake [Island] until we reached Honolulu. Needless to say, the newspapermen were frantic. One eager reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle kept trying to pick up the slightest crumb of information. He finally broke through the ring of Secret Service men around the President and asked, "How was the morale of the men in the hospital?" The President replied, "Perfect! Much better than yours or mine." The correspondent was delighted that he had been able to get such a highly successful scoop. Lacking real news, the press covered my activities and wardrobe each day in the most minute detail, much to the delight of my family. Personal Secretary to the Ambassador at Large Vernice Anderson Oral history interview, February 2, 1971

Left there [Fairfield-Suisun Air Base] after seeing a lot of wounded boys from Korea at 12:30 A.M. Friday the 13th! We took off and I arose by San Francisco time at 5 o'clock and it was two hours earlier where I am. Ain't that sompin'? It is now 10:30 Washington time, 7:30 San Francisco time and 5:30 Hawaii time, which we'll reach in two hours and a half. Hope you and Ethel are all right. I've a whale of a job before me. Have to talk to God's righthand man [General Douglas MacArthur] tomorrow, make a policy speech in San Francisco Tuesday night at 8:30, 10:30 your time and then tell the UN where to head in on the 24th. Too much for a farm boy. My best to you both. President Harry S. Truman Harry Truman to Nellie Noland, October 13, 1950 Papers of Mary Ethel Noland

My diary for Friday, the 13th (!), begins: "I awoke before they called me--and I must admit was a bit excited being in the center of the most melodramatic moment of the world today. We had a hot roll, juice, and coffee. Then the men donned their tropical gear for arrival. Mr. Harriman was outfitted in what he termed proper attire for one arriving with the President in Hawaii--striped Palm Beach trousers in blue, white shirt (because Ambassador Jessup objected to a blue one), a blue printed tie, brown and white spectator shoes. It was light enough to see the Island as we came in, and General Bradley pointed out to me the Pali, the Orange Bowl Crater Cemetery, and two islands off to our left. Then we spotted Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach, and Pearl Harbor. . . . We spent the day in Hawaii planning for the conference, drafting portions of the President's San Francisco speech, and touring the military establishments. . . . Admiral [Arthur W.] Radford, the ranking military officer, hence our host, arranged the tour. We accompanied the President to Tripler General Hospital [where the President visited with about 50 servicemen wounded in Korea] and on a launch tour of Pearl Harbor. The party then went by automobile to Scoffield Barracks and Wheeler Field. During the motorcade a military policeman suddenly pulled up beside us and asked Commander Richard if Miss Anderson were in that car. Our escort officer acknowledged my presence, whereupon the policeman said, "Ambassador Jessup wants to see you immediately at headquarters." I transferred to the MP's car, who drove me at breakneck speed to Pearl Harbor. When I presented myself to the Ambassador, he said, "Vernice, what are you doing here? I thought you were with the President inspecting the military posts." I replied that I had been only moments before until I had received word he wanted to see me. His response was, "I simply asked a short time ago where you were, because I wanted to tell you we had arranged for someone to take you dancing tonight at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel." This proved to be a most delightful evening. Personal Secretary to the Ambassador at Large Vernice Anderson Oral history interview, February 2, 1971

Admiral Radford, President Truman, and Colonel Manning Tillery at Hickam Field in Honolulu. Photo: The Album, The President's Trip to Wake Island, October 13, 1950. Source: Truman Library.   Charles Ross announces to the press that Wake Island is to be the scene of the conference. Photo: The Album, The President's Trip to Wake Island, October 13, 1950. Source: Truman Library.

The night of the 14th, about 8:30, I received a message from State with an enigmatic, "If invited, take the trip." I couldn't fathom that out. About two hours later I received a message direct from General MacArthur saying, "I have been instructed to invite you, and if at Haneda before 11:00 in the morning, should be glad to have your company." I was still baffled as to what it was all about. Soon [Air Force] General [Earle] Partridge came in and said he had received instructions from CINCFE to facilitate MY arrival at Haneda by 11: 00. This was about midnight. I boarded his plane at 4:30 a.m. Neither General Partridge nor anyone on that plane knew what was up. . General MacArthur came on board a few minutes later and took off exactly at 11:00. About fifteen minutes later General MacArthur sat down beside me and very clearly reflected his disgust of "being summoned for political reasons" when the front and active military operations had so many calls on his time. And that's the first time I--it was then that I first knew that a meeting was to be held at Wake Island between General MacArthur and President Truman. Ambassador to Korea John Muccio Oral history interview, February 18, 1971

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