He was impatiently waiting for Churchill to arrive. Because the train was so closely associated with Roosevelt, Truman felt uncomfortable. It was only the second time he was on board, having used it once to make a quick whistle-stop tour at the urging of Roosevelt during his campaign for Vice President. Shedding the Roosevelt mantle had been an arduous task for Truman. Although he did admire the former president and was indebted to him for appointing him vice president, he continued to be resentful of the man’s death at that critical time. It was a foolish, he knew, but he had been completely unprepared, and the year of catch-up had presented him with enormous challenges. It might have been less of a chore if he had been fully briefed beforehand. Nevertheless, despite his initial bewilderment, Truman’s confidence in himself never flagged. He wished he had been more involved during the eighty-eight days of Roosevelt’s presidency, twenty-five of which he had been away.
