Unknown History - Boy's pancake breakfast delayed the end of WWII

Dark Knight

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  • #1
Whenever someone mentioned pancakes, without fail Thomas E. Jones would immediately think of Harry Truman.

It's an odd word association for sure, but it's understandable given Jones' unusual place in our nation's history.

On Aug. 14, 1945, Jones, a 16-year-old messenger in Washington, D.C., was entrusted to deliver to the White House the cable announcing Japan's surrender to the United States to end World War II.

Unaware of his cargo's import, the boy, in cavalier teenage fashion, put work on hold to eat pancakes at a diner, hang out with his friends and flirt with waitresses.

Later, he left his pancakes to complete the job only to be pulled over en route to the White House by a police officer, who berated the boy for making an illegal U-turn.

Meanwhile, President Truman and his inner circle waited for the note that would change history.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060331/pl_usatoday/boyspancakebreakfastdelayedtheendofwwii
 
  • #2
Dark Knight said:
Whenever someone mentioned pancakes, without fail Thomas E. Jones would immediately think of Harry Truman.

It's an odd word association for sure, but it's understandable given Jones' unusual place in our nation's history.

On Aug. 14, 1945, Jones, a 16-year-old messenger in Washington, D.C., was entrusted to deliver to the White House the cable announcing Japan's surrender to the United States to end World War II.

Unaware of his cargo's import, the boy, in cavalier teenage fashion, put work on hold to eat pancakes at a diner, hang out with his friends and flirt with waitresses.

Later, he left his pancakes to complete the job only to be pulled over en route to the White House by a police officer, who berated the boy for making an illegal U-turn.

Meanwhile, President Truman and his inner circle waited for the note that would change history.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060331/pl_usatoday/boyspancakebreakfastdelayedtheendofwwiihttp://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060331/pl_usatoday/boyspancakebreakfastdelayedtheendofwwiihttp://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060331/pl_usatoday/boyspancakebreakfastdelayedtheendofwwiihttp://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060331/pl_usatoday/boyspancakebreakfastdelayedtheendofwwii
I guess that's when they had those red phones installed.
 
  • #3
BillyGoatGruff said:
I guess that's when they had those red phones installed.
You'd think even then they'd be far more carefull with things of such importance! What if the kid lost it, or something?
 

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