The Courage of FDR

Last night, the History Channel aired a program called "Pearl Harbor: 24 Hours After". We all know about FDR's great speech,  “Yesterday, December 7th, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”  But most people don't realize the brave effort it took him just to get to the podium. 

"For any president giving a speech before a joint session of Congress, knowing that millions of Americans would be huddled next to their radios listening to every word would be stressful enough. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had the added physical burden of strapping on his metal leg braces, traveling to the Capitol, and navigating the path to the rostrum in full glare of the newsreels.
Even a task as simple as getting dressed required enormous effort.
At 11 a.m. valet Arthur Prettyman entered FDR’s bedroom and began the laborious task of dressing the president for his trip to the Capitol. After laying FDR flat in bed, Prettyman would remove the president’s pajamas and slip his legs into the heavy metal braces, which weighed roughly five pounds each. The braces had a hinge at the knee that could be locked into position, along with three straps: One went below the president’s knee, another across his thigh, and a third was positioned at the top of the brace just below the hip. When pulled tight the straps would keep his legs rigid. FDR’s black dress shoes were attached to the bottom of the braces through a hole drilled into the heel. The most difficult part of the process for Prettyman was trying to fit the lifeless foot into the shoe. Once the braces were strapped on and the shoes secured, Prettyman proceeded to dress the president. FDR chose formal morning clothes—black cutaway coat, striped trousers, and a gray-and-white tie. Roosevelt insisted on an added feature: a black armband he wore in memory of his mother."

Read the whole article and you will appreciate his character even more.