50th anniversary of President Harry S. Truman's death
President Truman's address to the nation on the Korean War was broadcast and telecast from the projection room of the White House last night, July 19. The President called upon the people for hard work and steady effort to win the Korean War.
CEDARBURG, Wis. - It has been 50 years since President Harry S. Truman passed away after a battle with pneumonia. His death cast a spotlight on one Wisconsin veteran.
Even though it has been 50 years since Lyle Gray's job, the details still linger in his mind as he swipes through a special album on his I-pad.
Gray pointing at himself
"You are always nervous, because you know that there's a lot of eyes on you," said Gray.
The U.S. army assigned Sergeant Gray to the 'Old Guard' charged with providing military burial honors for presidents and dignitaries.
Gray led the unit at just 20 years old. He was granted leave to return home to Milwaukee and spend Christmas with his wife of four months, Dianne.
"We knew that President Truman was in ill health, and he had been for some time, and so I was told to standby," said Gray.
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The call came just as his celebration was starting.
Truman had died at 88 years old, and Gray had to follow orders.
Upon arriving in St. Louis, Gray scouted the Truman presidential library in nearby Independence, where the family had decided to hold Truman's funeral.
"And immediately, we looked at the front door and said, 'We can't get the casket through the front door with our eight servicemen, our eight casket bearers.'" said Gary. "And I remember the officers all kind of swiveling their heads at one time, saying, 'What?'"
The military honors were carried out before a large crowd, with Gray and others adapting as needed. The crowd included President Richard Nixon, former President Lyndon Johnson, and other dignitaries.
"You never lost the reverence for the moments and understanding that whatever small part you might have played in it," said Gray. "It was history in the making."
Gray remembers his rush to Missouri and the improvised special assignment around this time of year.
Lyle Gray
It was a true lesson in what really matters amid the holidays.
"Honor those traditions and enjoy family," said Gray. "If you're coming home to family, and it gets disrupted, you're able to come back to family; the net is positive."
Three weeks after Truman's funeral, Gray and the 'Old Guard' provided the same honors for President Lyndon B. Johnson's funeral at the U.S. capitol.
Gray left the army, and after a brief stint as a Milwaukee police officer, he worked in the private sector for 30 years.