On July 30th 1965 President Lyndon Johnson came to the Truman Library in Independence to sign the Medicare law. He then presented Harry Truman with the first Medicare card and Bess Truman with the second card ever issued.
I always told my children a bedtime story and one of these stories was about going to the square in Independence to see President Truman when he came home from the White House. He was always driven around the square real slowly in a white Plymouth convertible before going to the summer White House on 15th Street (Truman Road). I wanted my kids to see a live President and so when I read in the paper President Johnson was coming to Independence, we stood on a corner south of Truman Library where we knew the motorcade would be traveling. All of a sudden here came about a dozen black limousines with tinted glass windows being escorted by a multitude of motorcycle policemen. Since this was just two years after Kennedy’s assassination, the Secret Service did not want you to know which one of the cars the President was in. It was a big disappointment to me, but the kids were thrilled to see the Presidential Motorcade.
This was 45 years ago. I had no idea what Medicare was. And couldn’t actually have cared less. However, a few weeks ago I was coming back home in to town from my farm when I passed out driving my pickup truck. I quickly came to, managed to get home, and was so dizzy I couldn’t stand up. Laura called 911, and about four or five hours later I had a pacemaker. At the end of each month, Medicare sends out a summary of medical bills and any money they have paid. A few days ago, I got this notice they had paid Centerpointe Hospital $99,700 for my pacemaker. Thank you President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075 or jackremembers@aol.com
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