Marker Logo HMdb.org THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
West Potomac Park in Southwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

"He Died in Harness"

1945 / Fourth Term

— Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial —

 
 
"He Died in Harness" Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Shane Oliver, May 5, 2022
1. "He Died in Harness" Marker
Inscription.
Voters did not know the seriousness of Franklin Roosevelt's heart disease when they elected him to a fourth presidential term. With victory in sight, FDR made a final trip to Eastern Europe and the Middle East. At Yalta, he negotiated post-war agreements with the Soviet Union and Great Britain. On his return, Roosevelt addressed Congress seated, saying, "it makes it a lot easier for me not to have to carry about ten pounds of steel around on the bottom of my legs." He died months before the end of World War II.

Memorial Quotes in Room Four
"More than an end to war, we want an end to the beginnings of all wars."
Undelivered Address, Prepared for April 13, 1945

"Unless the peace that follows recognizes that the whole world is one neighborhood and does justice to the whole human race, the germs of another world war will remain as a constant threat to mankind."
Radio Address, February 12, 1943

[Captions:]
FDR died on April 12, 1945. New President Harry Truman told reporters he felt as though "the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me." A horse-drawn caisson transported Roosevelt's body through Washington, D.C., from Union Station to the White House.

This bas relief (right) by sculptor
Paid Advertisement
Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.
Click or scan to see
this page online
Leonard Baskin represents a grieving nation. Baskin placed a riderless, blanket-draped horse honoring the fallen commander at the head of the procession. Mourners with heads bowed walk behind the casket.

 
Erected 2022 by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & PoliticsWar, World II. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #32 Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the Former U.S. Presidents: #33 Harry S. Truman series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is February 12, 1943.
 
Location. 38° 52.978′ N, 77° 2.533′ W. Marker is in Southwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in West Potomac Park. Marker can be reached from Ohio Drive Southwest south of West Basin Drive Southwest, on the right when traveling north. The marker is located on the grounds of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, a sprawling 7.5 acre memorial managed by the National Park Service. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1850 W Basin Dr SW, Washington DC 20418, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The United Nations (within shouting distance of this marker); Wartime President (within shouting distance of this marker); I Hate War (within shouting distance of this marker); Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
"He Died in Harness" Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Shane Oliver, May 5, 2022
2. "He Died in Harness" Marker
(about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Combatting Economic Depression (about 300 feet away); The Gift of Friendship (about 400 feet away); Nothing to Fear… (about 600 feet away); Yoshino (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Southwest Washington.
 
More about this marker. Marker contains text in braille, for quotes featured throughout the memorial.
 
FDR Memorial Quote image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Shane Oliver, June 3, 2019
3. FDR Memorial Quote
FDR Funeral Sculpture image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Shane Oliver, June 3, 2019
4. FDR Funeral Sculpture
FDR Memorial Quote image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Shane Oliver, June 3, 2019
5. FDR Memorial Quote
FDR Memorial Quote image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Shane Oliver, June 3, 2019
6. FDR Memorial Quote
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 10, 2022, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 161 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on May 10, 2022, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.

Share this page.  
Share on Tumblr
m=197635

CeraNet Cloud Computing sponsors the Historical Marker Database.
This website earns income from purchases you make after using our links to Amazon.com. We appreciate your support.
Paid Advertisement
Apr. 19, 2024