Harry R. Truman (October 30, 1896 – May 18, 1980) was an American businessman, bootlegger, and prospector. He lived near Mount St. Helens, an active volcano in the state of Washington, and was the owner and caretaker of Mount St. Helens Lodge at Spirit Lake near the base of the mountain. Truman came to fame as a folk hero in the months leading up to the volcano's 1980 eruption after refusing to leave his home despite evacuation orders. He was killed by a pyroclastic flow that overtook his lodge and buried the site under of volcanic debris. After Truman's death, his family and friends reflected on his love for the mountain. In 1981, Art Carney portrayed Truman in the docudrama film St. Helens. He was commemorated in a book by his niece, and also in various pieces of music, including songs by Headgear, Billy Jonas, and Shawn Wright and the Brothers Band. Early life Truman was born to foresters in Ivydale, West Virginia, in October 1896. He said he did not know his exact date of birth, but gave it as October 1896. Some noncontemporaneous sources have given his middle name as Randall, but Truman stated that he did not know his middle name, just the initial R. Truman's World War II draft registration card, dated April 27, 1942, lists his full name as "Harry Rainel Truman" and his date of birth as "Oct. 30, 1896." Truman's family moved west to Washington, drawn to the promise of cheap land and the successful timber industry in the Pacific Northwest; they settled on of farmland in the eastern portion of Lewis County, Washington. Career He attended high school in the city of Mossyrock, Washington then enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private in August 1917. He was assigned to the 100th Aero Squadron, 7th Squad, and trained as an aeromechanic. He served in France during World War I. During his service, he reportedly sustained injuries due to his audacious and independent nature. However, according to Washington State Archives, Truman served overseas from January 24, 1918, until February 1, 1919, but this record states he did not have wounds or injuries received in action and did not participate in any engagements. It also states he had a disability rating of zero at the time he was discharged. While en route to Europe, his troopship, Tuscania, was sunk by a German U-boat in