Summary

On January 20, 1945, in Washington, D.C., FDR was sworn in for a fourth term. In the crowd were hundreds of WWII veterans, many of them on crutches. Hopes that the war would end by the New Year had been dashed. FDR would live to serve only 83 days of the new term. Harry S. Truman, who had served in WWII, was sworn in as vice president. FDR had chosen Truman to replace his current vice president, Henry Wallace, who FDR thought was too liberal. When Truman accepted the offer, he knew he would be president. Only a small circle of people including Truman knew how ill FDR was. As FDR made his inaugural speech, he was surrounded by his beloved family. But FDR’s biggest love was reserved for the American people. Together they had seen the country through its greatest challenges.

Patton was...