On eve of Korean War, Truman turned to comfort food [audio 3min]

Everyone is familiar with comfort food. Whether you're disappointed over a missed job opportunity or crying over a breakup, chances are that you've turned to that one food that always seems to make you feel better. For President Truman's White House, the food was fried chicken -- and the crisis was the Korean War. On Sunday, June 25, 1950, a last-minute dinner with the war Cabinet was to be planned, and only one man was there to do it: Alonzo Fields, chief White House butler during the Truman administration. Fields planned the menu during his frenzied cab ride to the White House. By 8:30 p.m. the dinner of fried chicken, buttered asparagus, scalloped tomatoes and shoestring potatoes was served. After dinner, all servers were dismissed so that Truman and his cabinet could begin planning what would become the Korean War. Fields' type-written notes from that day are now part of a new display at the National Archives. It's called "Eyewitness: American Originals from the National Archives" and will begin touring the country next year.