Harry Truman and Mount St. Helens | KATU In The Archives

In 1980, prior to the eruption of Mount St. Helens, Harry Truman refused to leave his lodge at Spirit Lake. When the mountain erupted, Spirit Lake, Harry Truman, and Mt. St. Helens Lodge were overrun by a pyroclastic flow.
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[ChrisJohnson-hkes]

I wish I could go back in time and stay at his lodge, and listen to him tell stories all night and day long. Rest easy Truman!

[anxietyislandllc]

I knew Harry as a young kid in the late 60's, early 70's. He was a character. My mom knew him from her days at Y-Camp across the lake. We'd rent rowboats from him.

[Jamie_van_Brewen]

This guy was what I can only call a genuine character.
I could listen to him all day.

[Namcos-nh]

We have stayed at Harrys and fished the lake for many years. We talked to Harry a few days before he lost his life, he talked a big game but was honestly scared of some of those bigger quakes, but he truly thought nothing was going to happen to him. None of us thought it was going to be as big and violent as it was, had Harry actually known what was about to happen he would have stayed with family. I was only about 20 to 25 miles away when it erupted, it was so loud, its hard to compare it to anything. The ground shook and the sky turned black so quickly. Its a shame so man people had to die, some were completely avoidable, unfortunately some were arrogant. It was ridiculous that so many people gave geologists and government officials such a hard time for closing down the mountain, then when it erupted and destroyed everything in its path, those same people blamed the same officals for not doing more or making the safe area bigger. Its frightening to think that was a small volcano compared to the super ones, it was a once in a lifetime experience that i don't want to repeat.

[johnnyrottenwood]

I remember as a kid seeing the ash plume when the volcano erupted. I remember thinking poor Harry.

[mbenoit]

I don't think Harry would have coped well with the devastation of his lodge and the entire area. Im glad he never had to see the effects of it beyond the few seconds in which the eruption overtook him.

[clarenceredwards]

Harry once said that Mt. Saint Helens was a part of him and he a part of it. God Bless him, he was right.

[greggd]

The aerial footage at 1:52 I believe was filmed by geologist Dorothy Stoffel, literally a few minutes before the eruption. She and her husband chartered a small plane to view the mountain, and they were right over it when it blew. The pilot nose dived to gain speed and turned due south to avoid the eruption. If you haven't seen her interview about this, you really should look it up. Incredible story

[castlebravocrypto]

It was really Harry Truman vs Mt St Helens. We all know Harry lost the fight, but he won the war

[pl]

Saying it would never take him and the lodge out...reminds me of the unsinkable titanic..

[bradr]

Harry must of accepted when the wind was 300 mph and the wall was 200ft hi ready to hit him. Guys like this come along only once in a lifetime. What a piece of work i hope he rested and in peace.

[msb]

Brave man. I do respect people of his generation.

[NathanF]

Lots of things have been said about Harry R. Truman. Me, I reckon he was a very determined fellow who departed from this world exactly on his terms.

I do wonder if he was outside at 8.32am on that fateful day and saw that pyroclastic flow hurtling towards him and his lodge and if so what thoughts went through his mind.

[MikeDest]

At that age, with that life, I think most of us would go out like Truman. Especially after considering what the end result of the lodge and spirit lake was. He would have been absolutely devastated.

[oscarkoop]

It was almost poetic that it erupted the way it did and the mountain literally fell on top of him.

[jollyroger]

He seemed like a really cool old dude. RIP.

[janaburritt]

At least Harry Truman got to die where he wanted to be. Not all get what they want.

[jaysonwallker]

You know I just used to think he was a crazy old man, but I understand now. When you lose a mate from so many years it must be just absolute hell. That place he lived in was his fortress, his last stand.

[jrnymn]

good thing we got to get all these interviews on film, so we all got to know Harry, so apart of him will live for on in our memories. world could sure use some more Harry Trumans right now

[mickeybailey]

My mom and dad grew up in Longview and Kelso. They knew Harry and his wife. I am looking at a picture of my mom at Spirit Lake Lodge from about 1944-45. I spent a few weeks there myself back in the 1970's.