Editing Sidney Souers (section)

=== Later career ===
Souers was soon called back to Washington when president Truman appointed him to serve as Executive Secretary of the [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]] following its creation on July 26, 1947. In this capacity as a non-voting member, he met with the president daily as a personal informant on national security issues and planning. He was the first to brief Truman on the possible existence of a [[thermonuclear weapon]], and remained a key figure in its development, being a major proponent of the establishment of an intelligence division within the [[United States Atomic Energy Commission|Atomic Energy Commission]].<ref name=":2" /> In March 1949, following the retirement of [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] Fleet Admiral [[William D. Leahy]], Souers was selected to temporarily fill Leahy's duties until the appointment of General of the Army [[Omar Bradley]] as Chairman on August 15.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Coordinator of Security; Sidney Souers brings wide training to the task of advising the President on national defense. |language=en |work=The New York Times |url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.comhttp//timesmachine.content-tagging.us-east-1-01.prd.dvsp.nyt.net/timesmachine/1949/04/24/93542702.html?pageNumber=250 |access-date=2023-11-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Brandt |first=Raymond |date=3 Dec 1948 |title=SIDNEY SOUERS MAY BECOME TRUMAN'S MILITARY ADVISOR |pages=2 |work=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]}}</ref> Souers resigned from his position as Executive Secretary on December 21, 1949, though remained Truman's chief consultant on national security until the end of his presidency in 1953.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Greene |first=Jerry |date=22 Dec 1949 |title=Truman Picks Security Aide |pages=84 |work=[[New York Daily News]]}}</ref>

Souers was awarded the [[Distinguished service medal|Distinguished Service Medal]] by president Truman on December 2, 1952, for "keen foresight and tireless efforts toward fulfillment of a strong and effective security program".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Surprised Admiral Gets A Medal From Truman |language=en |work=The New York Times |url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.comhttp//timesmachine.content-tagging.us-east-1-01.prd.dvsp.nyt.net/timesmachine/1952/12/02/84373536.html?pageNumber=11 |access-date=2023-11-30}}</ref>