INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County, including Independence. Share your story idea with Tod.
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Visitors to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum on Wednesday in Independence learned more about the former president's life of military service.
Given how much of his life was devoted to his military service and then his role as commander in chief, it's no surprise that it also drew people here interested in learning a little bit more on Veterans Day.
Watch: Veterans Day visitors reflect on Harry Truman's military service at his presidential library
Among them was Megan Kloepper, a retired staff sergeant in the Missouri Army National Guard, who said she discovered a new connection to Truman during her visit.
"I did not know that he was in the Missouri National Guard,” Kloepper said. “I do think that we need to educate our Missouri National Guardsmen on some of our presidential candidates that have been in our service.”
For Kloepper, the bonds formed through service remain the most meaningful part of her time as a veteran.
"Being a veteran, the greatest thing that came out of it is the soldiers I met,” she said. “Some of my greatest friends to this day are the other veterans I met. You'll never have friendships that are quite like the other veterans and the things that you go through with them.”
Joel Shaffer, who was visiting the Truman Library from Oakland, reflected on the lessons service members carry with them.
"There's a lot of powerful things that people learn when they're serving their country,” he said. “Whether you become a president or whether you go home to your hometown after, you probably learn a lot of life lessons. And of course, there's a lot for the country to be thankful for for their service.”
Kloepper downplayed her own military service.
“I think me being a National Guard member, I did the least,” she said. “There's a lot of active-duty members, but our soldiers on deployment, they do the most. Our soldiers that are deployed, they're away from their friends and their family. Those are soldiers that we really need to be thinking of on Veterans Day.”
Those thoughts, Kloepper said, need to extend beyond their service time as well.
“I was getting food before I came here, and I ran into a Marine Corps vet who was serving for 19 1/2 years,” Kloepper said. “He was Door Dashing, so you know it's really important to recognize our vets that you know were presidents, but also you know we have veterans that are Door Dashing because you know they're trying to make ends meet.”
A museum buff, Kloepper said she enjoyed the Truman Library and Museum, tells the story of Truman's service with Battery D during World War I and also the decisions he had to make during World War II as commander in chief.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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