Harry S. Truman

TrumanIt was months later that Truman, his wife Bess and his daughter Margaret made their first journey to Shangri-La on a rainy September day. He told the officer in charge, Lt Commander William M. Rigdon, his assistant naval aide, he felt too cooped up with all the underbrush that had grown up all around the camp.  A work party from the yacht USS Williamsburg, went to work cutting down trees, removing stumps and clearing the foliage.

Later, the Trumans told friends the place was boring and needed more work inside and out. He told friends he really didn’t want to spend time in such a place.  While he told the crew they did a great job he confided in others about the use of the place and how much improvement it needed.