October 18, 1982 – CBS World News Roundup – Newsbreak – 9:00 am network news – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
October 18, 1982 – Former first lady Bess Truman died earlier in the morning. At 97 she was the oldest living former First Lady and had died from congestive heart failure en route to the hospital. Although she kept a very low profile around the Public, she was considered to be President Harry Truman’s closest adviser and was in on all of the momentous decisions during Harry Truman’s tenure as President and was affectionately referred to as “The Boss”. Harry and Bess Truman were high school sweethearts having been in the same Independence Missouri High School graduating class in 1901. However, it took Harry several years before he proposed and they married in 1919. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Also leaving the Grand Auditorium this day was former French Premier Pierre Mendes France who died, also earlier in the morning, at age 75. Mendes France was a radical Socialist who was a constant critic of Charles De Gaulle’s Presidency. As Premier, his greatest achievement was finally ending the Indo-China war in 1954, successfully negotiating a settlement which split Indo-China (Vietnam) into two nations; North and South Vietnam. Mendes France admired FDR and copied the Fireside Chat approach to weekly radio addresses. He was, however disliked by most French because of his anti-alcohol stance and his preference for Milk over Wine.
And Lebanon’s President Amin Gemayel was addressing the United Nations this day, urging a withdrawal of all outside military forces from Lebanon as one of the first steps in reviving his country as an independent state.
Along with tributes to Bess Truman, there was a lot more going on, this October 18, 1982 as presented by The CBS World News Roundup – Newsbreak and the 9:00 network news with Richard C. Hottelet.
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