TRUMAN ESCAPES WOULD-BE ASSASSINS AT BLAIR HOUSE
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On November 1, 1950, seventy-five years ago today, President Harry S Truman narrowly escaped an assassination attempt as he was taking his customary afternoon nap at the Blair House in the Nation's Capital.
It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon when two Puerto Rican nationalists*, a.k.a. 'independistas' approached Blair House from opposite directions.
The pair were quickly engaged in a desperate gun battle with police officers and secret service agents.
Griselio Torresola was killed and Oscar Collazo** was shot in the chest as he reached the steps of Blair House.
Officer Leslie Coffelt, who took down Torresola, died later in the day from multiple gunshot wounds.
The President was awakened from his nap by the shots and immediately went to the window to see what was going on. Secret service agents shouted, "Get down!" Mr. Truman obeyed the command.
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Although not a secret service agent, Leslie Coffelt is the only member of Secret Service detail to have been killed protecting the POTUS. The Truman family had a single rose placed on Coffelt's gravestone at Arlington National Cemetery every day.
The would-be assassins came to Washington, D.C. from New York City & were staying at a hotel near the U.S. Capitol. They took a taxi to an area near the White House & Blair House.
The Trumans had been living at Blair House for two years while necessary repairs were being done to The White House.
*They were members of the New York chapter of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, founded in 1922, which advocated independence for Puerto Rico from the United States. The men were particularly angered by U.S. reprisals in Torresola's hometown on Oct 31, 1950.
**Oscar Collazo survived & his death sentence was changed to life imprisonment by HST. President Carter commuted him & OC died in 1994.
SOURCES
"The Plot to Kill President Truman," by Jessie Kratz, Pieces of History, National Archives, www.prologue.blogs.archives.gov/
"Truman Escapes Assassination Attempt At Blair House," JFK+50, November 1, 2011, www.jfk50.blogspot.com/
