The Beginning

On the 21st day of October, 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt arrived at Pensylvania Station at 6:30 AM in his Presidential rail car

It was one of those overcast rainy Saturday mornings that turns New York into a wet, sprawling grey monolith of a city.

Roosevelt delayed leaving the warmth of the rail car for a little while, in order to read the morning dispatches.

All in all, things were going OK

Dewey was rattling the political cage with claims that the Administration was playing around with labor rights, but Ike was doing quite well in Europe. The Allied Forces had taken the city of Aachen. It was the first German city the Americans had liberated so far and they had done so late yesterday afternoon after heavy battle..

Doug MacArthur wasn't doing badly in the Pacific either.

The report indicated that it had taken several attempts, but a good shot of Doug walking onto a Leyte beach from a landing craft, right through the surf, had been taken yesterday. The newsreel of this event should be showing in American movie theaters within a week. Doug had fulfilled his promise to return to the Philippines. It would be a great boost to the public morale when they actually see it on the silver screen.

American troops were in the process of sweeping through Leyte. The Japanese fleet was in the neighborhood, according to the intellegence reports, but so was "Bull" Halsey.

MacArthur's plan to cut the Japanese life line by this Layte invasion looked like it was going to be a success

(MacArthur, Roosevelt and Nimitz at Leyte planning session in Hawaii - mid 1944)

Stalin's men were fighting hard. They had taken Belgrade and Debrecen yesterday as well.

It was likely too, that Churchill was feeling pretty good. He and Stalin had just finished ten days of talks in Moscow on the Polish question, and Winston was heading home to England today.

Roosevelt also had things to do this morning. Setting the briefing papers aside, he motioned for his assistants

Wearing an overcoat to protect his aging body against the 50 degree temperature, Roosevelt was transfered from the rail car to a motorcar for his visit to the Big Apple.

He was there to give an address to the Foreign Policy Association that night, but the day was going to be fast paced. He was due at the Brooklyn Army Base Terminal at 9 AM for an inspection. He was then to inspect the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn as well, before heading to Ebbets Field for a rally being held for Democratic Senator Robert Wagner.

From there he was to ride north, through Queens, to the Bronx ,where another inspection awaited at the United States Naval Training Station at Hunters College. By then it would be mid day, and hopefully a bit warmer. He would be heading for his wife's apartment at Washington Square. It would be a straight shot down 7th Avenue through Manhattan. He could rest there all afternoon and evening until he gave his speech at 9:30 PM, which would be broadcast over NBC radio.

As cold and windy as the morning was, crowds of adoring Americans lined the curbs outside. They would line the entire route, waving and cheering the man that brought them out of the Great Depression and led them to what was now impending victory in both the Europe and Pacific war theaters. He was the most powerful and beloved man in the world, and the public would endure any weather to catch a glimpse of this true National father figure.

(Roosevelt shakes a hand just before motorcade begins)

The motorcade pulled slowly out of Penn Station and the crowd erupted. Roosevelt smiled and waved back to the excited throng.

It was 7:10 AM and there was a slight drizzle. The motorcade headed east through the center of downtown Manhattan. The crowds became thicker and, it seemed, more excited. It appeared as if the entire population of New York City was in the streets.

This was not entirely true.

As Roosevelt passed by Polyclinic Hospital at 7:22 AM, Dorothy Miller Schultz was inside, giving birth to her only son Richard.

Dorothy knew that the President was in town, but couldn't care less.She was focused on the task at hand. The baby was fairly large, and the labor had been rather difficult.

She gave one more push and the child was delivered.