This Day In History - August 9th

Herman Talmadge was born on this day in history, on August 9, 1913. He died March 21, 2002. Before Herman was a senator or a governor of Georgia, he was a son of a Governor of Georgia. Once there was some kind of big union strike in Georgia that caused some violence. The Georgia National Guard was called out. My father was a National Guardsman. I think Gene Talmadge was probably leaning towards management than the union and the strikers. Members of the guard guarded the governor’s mansion. My father was one of those guarding it. He had strict orders not to let any one in unless they could prove the person could prove he was who he said he was and prove he had official business there.
Early one morning shortly after Daddy’s assignment there up strolled Herman. Daddy refused to let him enter. Which I think caused a little ruckus. But, they couldn’t say a whole lot. Daddy was following orders. Daddy was almost just a few days off from being two years younger the future Georgia Governor. Herman said he understood, and I doubt if he ever thought about the incident again.


Later I heard Herman was a smooth land operator when the Feds were building highways through Georgia. We also had some local politicians that had a crystal ball too, as for as predicting where the highways were to be constructed and to pay inflated prices for the land.
During the Watergate Hearing I felt I got to know Herman very well. And he looked so honest!





Betty Boop, a singing showgirl cartoon character, made her debut on the screen on this date in 1930. She was the creation of film animator Max Fleischer (he also created Popeye). Her cutie dancer/showgirl icon still sells today.