sablescort
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Also I forogt to mention that day Gerald Ford died was the 34th anniversary of President Harry S. Truman's passing away (December 26, 1972).
Former President Ford died
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sara1981
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Ford state funeral plans revealed
BBC NEWS | Americas | Ford state funeral plans revealed
A state funeral has been announced for former US President Gerald Ford, who died late on Tuesday aged 93.
The funeral services will begin on Friday in California where he lived and the late president will then lie in state in Washington over the weekend.
Mr Ford's body will be interred in a tomb in Michigan on Wednesday.
President Bush led tributes to Mr Ford, the longest living US president, saying he helped restore confidence in his office after the Watergate scandal.
'Healing'
The main state funeral service for Mr Ford will be in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington on Saturday evening.
His body will then lie in state there for two days before being transferred to a place just outside the Senate chamber.
A funeral service will be held at the National Cathedral before Mr Ford's casket is taken to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to be interred at the Gerald Ford Museum.
The US flag is to be flown at half-mast outside the White House and other government and military buildings for the next 30 days.
Mr Bush led tributes to the 38th president.
Speaking from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Mr Bush remembered President Ford as a "gentleman who reflected the best in America's character".
In a televised address, Mr Bush said Americans "came to know President Ford as a man of complete integrity".
He added: "For a nation that needed healing... Gerald Ford came along when we needed him most."
Mr Ford took office after Richard Nixon quit over the Watergate scandal in 1974.
He served for two years but lost to Jimmy Carter in 1976, a year after the US accepted defeat in the Vietnam War.
Mr Bush's words of praise were echoed by Vice-President Dick Cheney, who was at one time Gerald Ford's chief-of-staff.
Mr Cheney said Mr Ford gave the country the strength, wisdom and good judgement it needed as it faced its greatest constitutional crisis since the civil war.
In Michigan, a makeshift shrine formed outside the Gerald Ford Museum as a steady stream of people lit candles and laid flowers and flags.
Gerald Ford lived with his wife Betty, 88, at Rancho Mirage, about 130 miles (210km) east of Los Angeles in southern California.
The former president had suffered ill health this year and was taken to hospital four times for tests and angioplasty. He suffered a stroke in 2000.
Last month he became the longest-living US president when he reached 93 years and 122 days, passing the record held by President Ronald Reagan.
Vietnam War
Gerald Ford was chosen as Richard Nixon's vice-president in 1973, when Spiro Agnew resigned amid corruption charges.
Mr Ford then succeeded to the top job when Nixon resigned over Watergate - the scandal over a break-in at the offices of the rival Democratic party in Washington in 1972.
On taking office, Mr Ford declared the "national nightmare" of the Nixon scandal over - but soon after revived the debate by controversially granting his former boss a pardon for any crimes committed as president.
Analysts believe in the short term it may have cost him the 1976 election, although in the long term the gesture may have helped heal the country.
Mr Ford was in office as the US accepted its defeat in the Vietnam War, with the fall of Saigon in April 1975.
BBC NEWS | Americas | Ford state funeral plans revealed
A state funeral has been announced for former US President Gerald Ford, who died late on Tuesday aged 93.
The funeral services will begin on Friday in California where he lived and the late president will then lie in state in Washington over the weekend.
Mr Ford's body will be interred in a tomb in Michigan on Wednesday.
President Bush led tributes to Mr Ford, the longest living US president, saying he helped restore confidence in his office after the Watergate scandal.
'Healing'
The main state funeral service for Mr Ford will be in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington on Saturday evening.
His body will then lie in state there for two days before being transferred to a place just outside the Senate chamber.
A funeral service will be held at the National Cathedral before Mr Ford's casket is taken to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to be interred at the Gerald Ford Museum.
The US flag is to be flown at half-mast outside the White House and other government and military buildings for the next 30 days.
Mr Bush led tributes to the 38th president.
Speaking from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Mr Bush remembered President Ford as a "gentleman who reflected the best in America's character".
In a televised address, Mr Bush said Americans "came to know President Ford as a man of complete integrity".
He added: "For a nation that needed healing... Gerald Ford came along when we needed him most."
Mr Ford took office after Richard Nixon quit over the Watergate scandal in 1974.
He served for two years but lost to Jimmy Carter in 1976, a year after the US accepted defeat in the Vietnam War.
Mr Bush's words of praise were echoed by Vice-President Dick Cheney, who was at one time Gerald Ford's chief-of-staff.
Mr Cheney said Mr Ford gave the country the strength, wisdom and good judgement it needed as it faced its greatest constitutional crisis since the civil war.
In Michigan, a makeshift shrine formed outside the Gerald Ford Museum as a steady stream of people lit candles and laid flowers and flags.
Gerald Ford lived with his wife Betty, 88, at Rancho Mirage, about 130 miles (210km) east of Los Angeles in southern California.
The former president had suffered ill health this year and was taken to hospital four times for tests and angioplasty. He suffered a stroke in 2000.
Last month he became the longest-living US president when he reached 93 years and 122 days, passing the record held by President Ronald Reagan.
Vietnam War
Gerald Ford was chosen as Richard Nixon's vice-president in 1973, when Spiro Agnew resigned amid corruption charges.
Mr Ford then succeeded to the top job when Nixon resigned over Watergate - the scandal over a break-in at the offices of the rival Democratic party in Washington in 1972.
On taking office, Mr Ford declared the "national nightmare" of the Nixon scandal over - but soon after revived the debate by controversially granting his former boss a pardon for any crimes committed as president.
Analysts believe in the short term it may have cost him the 1976 election, although in the long term the gesture may have helped heal the country.
Mr Ford was in office as the US accepted its defeat in the Vietnam War, with the fall of Saigon in April 1975.
sara1981
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Ford was accidental president
The Sun Online - News: Ford was accidental president
HE was the man who saved the office of US president after the Watergate scandal.
Gerald Ford — who died on Boxing Day aged 93 — was also arguably the only president whose wife became more famous than him.
Betty Ford started the world-famous network of drying-out clinics bearing her name after herself overcoming addictions to drink and painkillers.
When Richard “Tricky Dicky” Nixon was forced to resign in 1974 as the Watergate crisis engulfed the White House, it was vice-president Ford who stepped in to fill the void.
From that moment on, he was destined to become a trivia question — the only man ever to become US leader without being voted into office.
His two years in charge from August 1974 came as America tried desperately to regain some poise following the trauma of Watergate — the political burglary and bugging scandal which almost destroyed the presidency.
On taking office, Ford declared: “My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.”
But it wasn’t quite. He still had to preside over the fall of Saigon as the Americans left Vietnam in April 1975.
Also that year Ford survived two assassination attempts — both by women in California.
Lynette Fromme, a follower of cult leader Charles Manson, pointed a handgun at Ford’s stomach in Sacramento but failed to let off any shots. Three weeks later, Sara Jane Moore fired at Ford in San Francisco but a bystander struck her arm and deflected the shot. Both women got life sentences.
Ford went on to restore stability in Washington. He was what America needed at that time. Where Nixon was abrasive and conspiratorial, Ford was mild-mannered, honest and kind.
One Washington observer said last night: “The country needed an ordinary guy and he was an ordinary person who was not divisive.”
The president was prone to blunders which invited mockery. He famously slipped down the steps of presidential jet Air Force One, giving everyone a laugh. He also made a huge mess-up during a debate with rival Jimmy Carter, who beat him in the race for the White House in January 1977.
Many believe Ford may well have beaten his Democrat challenger but for his decision to clear Nixon. Desperate to start afresh and not be dogged by Watergate, Ford granted his predecessor a pardon.
President George Bush yesterday paid tribute, saying Americans “came to know President Ford as a man of complete integrity” who “came along when we needed him most.”
As a young man, Ford — who last month became the longest-living US president — was a promising American football player who had offers to turn professional.
The possibly least well-known modern-day president once quipped: “If I had gone into pro football, the name Gerry Ford might have been a household word today.”
Buckingham Palace’s flag will fly at half-mast today as a mark of respect for the former president.
The Sun Online - News: Ford was accidental president
HE was the man who saved the office of US president after the Watergate scandal.
Gerald Ford — who died on Boxing Day aged 93 — was also arguably the only president whose wife became more famous than him.
Betty Ford started the world-famous network of drying-out clinics bearing her name after herself overcoming addictions to drink and painkillers.
When Richard “Tricky Dicky” Nixon was forced to resign in 1974 as the Watergate crisis engulfed the White House, it was vice-president Ford who stepped in to fill the void.
From that moment on, he was destined to become a trivia question — the only man ever to become US leader without being voted into office.
His two years in charge from August 1974 came as America tried desperately to regain some poise following the trauma of Watergate — the political burglary and bugging scandal which almost destroyed the presidency.
On taking office, Ford declared: “My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.”
But it wasn’t quite. He still had to preside over the fall of Saigon as the Americans left Vietnam in April 1975.
Also that year Ford survived two assassination attempts — both by women in California.
Lynette Fromme, a follower of cult leader Charles Manson, pointed a handgun at Ford’s stomach in Sacramento but failed to let off any shots. Three weeks later, Sara Jane Moore fired at Ford in San Francisco but a bystander struck her arm and deflected the shot. Both women got life sentences.
Ford went on to restore stability in Washington. He was what America needed at that time. Where Nixon was abrasive and conspiratorial, Ford was mild-mannered, honest and kind.
One Washington observer said last night: “The country needed an ordinary guy and he was an ordinary person who was not divisive.”
The president was prone to blunders which invited mockery. He famously slipped down the steps of presidential jet Air Force One, giving everyone a laugh. He also made a huge mess-up during a debate with rival Jimmy Carter, who beat him in the race for the White House in January 1977.
Many believe Ford may well have beaten his Democrat challenger but for his decision to clear Nixon. Desperate to start afresh and not be dogged by Watergate, Ford granted his predecessor a pardon.
President George Bush yesterday paid tribute, saying Americans “came to know President Ford as a man of complete integrity” who “came along when we needed him most.”
As a young man, Ford — who last month became the longest-living US president — was a promising American football player who had offers to turn professional.
The possibly least well-known modern-day president once quipped: “If I had gone into pro football, the name Gerry Ford might have been a household word today.”
Buckingham Palace’s flag will fly at half-mast today as a mark of respect for the former president.
sara1981
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The man who healed wounds of Watergate
Telegraph | News | The man who healed wounds of Watergate
Gerald Ford, who died on Boxing Day aged 93, was hailed by President George W Bush yesterday as a "man of complete integrity" who helped to bring America together after the Watergate scandal.
Mr Ford was unexpectedly thrust into the United States presidency and worked to heal what he called the "poisonous wounds" left by Richard Nixon's resignation. He had done so "with common sense and kind instincts", Mr Bush said.
In his 895-day presidency he pardoned Mr Nixon – an act that probably cost him the presidency in 1976 when he was narrowly defeated by Jimmy Carter – and ended US involvement in Vietnam.
"On August 9, 1974, he stepped into the presidency without ever having sought the office," Mr Bush said. "He assumed power in a period of great division and turmoil. For a nation that needed healing and for an office that needed a calm and steady hand, Gerald Ford came along when we needed him most."
Mr Bush said his fellow Republican "reflected the best in America's character" and helped restore confidence in the integrity of the presidency through the "honourable conduct" of his administration. One of his unexpected legacies was the rise to prominence of several politicians who came to shape Mr Bush's presidency.
Both Vice-President Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, who recently resigned as defence secretary, served as Mr Ford's chief of staff.
The only White House occupant never elected either to the presidency or the vice-presidency, Mr Ford became the longest living former president. A former congressman, his highest ambition, he said, had been to become Speaker of the House of Representatives.
His greatest contribution during his presidency, he believed, was to help unify his country after the Nixon era. At his inauguration he declared that "our long national nightmare is over" and vowed to "bound up the internal wounds of Watergate, more painful and more poisonous than those of foreign wars".
His most controversial act was his first one – the pardoning of Mr Nixon "for any crimes he may have committed". There were accusations this was part of an arrangement with his disgraced predecessor but Mr Ford maintained: "There was no deal, period, under no circumstances." Even his most bitter critics later acknowledged that the pardon was an honest, necessary and politically brave act. Senator Edward Kennedy, the senior Democrat who opposed it, later said it was "an extraordinary act of courage that historians recognise was truly in the national interest".
Mr Ford became vice-president in December 1973 after Spiro Agnew resigned following bribery allegations. Eight months later, he became president when Mr Nixon stepped aside rather than face a Senate trial on charges connected with the burglary of the Democratic National Committee headquarters. While president, he survived two assassination plots within 17 days, but still maintained a White House notable for its openness and informality.
Mr Ford was a high school football star from Grand Rapids, Michigan, who described himself as a "moderate in domestic affairs, an internationalist in foreign affairs and a conservative in fiscal policy".
As president, he seemed the epitome of an ordinary American. The day after his inauguration he made his own breakfast. But his everyman persona became fodder for ridicule. He was lampooned as a clumsy dolt and in June 1975 fell down the steps of Air Force One. Six months later he wiped out on the ski slopes.
President Lyndon Johnson was widely quoted as having stated that Congressman Ford was "so dumb he can't walk and chew gum at the same time". In fact, the jibe was crueller and coarser – Johnson had actually said "fart and chew gum".
Bob Hope, who like Mr Ford was a golfing enthusiast, once joked: "It's not hard to find Jerry Ford on a golf course – you just follow the wounded."
The Vietnam War ended in ignominy for America during his presidency. After the fall of Saigon in April 1975, Mr Ford, an early supporter of the war who urged heavier bombing, said: "Today, America can regain the sense of pride that existed before Vietnam. But it cannot be achieved by re-fighting a war that is finished as far as America is concerned."
Damaged by an ailing economy and a fierce primary election challenge from Ronald Reagan, he lost the Oval Office to Jimmy Carter.
Betty Ford, who announced her husband's death, was a divorcee and dancer when they married 58 years ago. She admitted to alcoholism and addiction to prescription drugs while First Lady and later founded the Betty Ford Centre for alcohol treatment and drug rehabilitation.
She said yesterday that despite suffering a series of health scares in recent years, her husband lived a life filled by "God, family and his country". "My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather has passed away," the former First Lady said in a statement.
Telegraph | News | The man who healed wounds of Watergate
Gerald Ford, who died on Boxing Day aged 93, was hailed by President George W Bush yesterday as a "man of complete integrity" who helped to bring America together after the Watergate scandal.
Mr Ford was unexpectedly thrust into the United States presidency and worked to heal what he called the "poisonous wounds" left by Richard Nixon's resignation. He had done so "with common sense and kind instincts", Mr Bush said.
In his 895-day presidency he pardoned Mr Nixon – an act that probably cost him the presidency in 1976 when he was narrowly defeated by Jimmy Carter – and ended US involvement in Vietnam.
"On August 9, 1974, he stepped into the presidency without ever having sought the office," Mr Bush said. "He assumed power in a period of great division and turmoil. For a nation that needed healing and for an office that needed a calm and steady hand, Gerald Ford came along when we needed him most."
Mr Bush said his fellow Republican "reflected the best in America's character" and helped restore confidence in the integrity of the presidency through the "honourable conduct" of his administration. One of his unexpected legacies was the rise to prominence of several politicians who came to shape Mr Bush's presidency.
Both Vice-President Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, who recently resigned as defence secretary, served as Mr Ford's chief of staff.
The only White House occupant never elected either to the presidency or the vice-presidency, Mr Ford became the longest living former president. A former congressman, his highest ambition, he said, had been to become Speaker of the House of Representatives.
His greatest contribution during his presidency, he believed, was to help unify his country after the Nixon era. At his inauguration he declared that "our long national nightmare is over" and vowed to "bound up the internal wounds of Watergate, more painful and more poisonous than those of foreign wars".
His most controversial act was his first one – the pardoning of Mr Nixon "for any crimes he may have committed". There were accusations this was part of an arrangement with his disgraced predecessor but Mr Ford maintained: "There was no deal, period, under no circumstances." Even his most bitter critics later acknowledged that the pardon was an honest, necessary and politically brave act. Senator Edward Kennedy, the senior Democrat who opposed it, later said it was "an extraordinary act of courage that historians recognise was truly in the national interest".
Mr Ford became vice-president in December 1973 after Spiro Agnew resigned following bribery allegations. Eight months later, he became president when Mr Nixon stepped aside rather than face a Senate trial on charges connected with the burglary of the Democratic National Committee headquarters. While president, he survived two assassination plots within 17 days, but still maintained a White House notable for its openness and informality.
Mr Ford was a high school football star from Grand Rapids, Michigan, who described himself as a "moderate in domestic affairs, an internationalist in foreign affairs and a conservative in fiscal policy".
As president, he seemed the epitome of an ordinary American. The day after his inauguration he made his own breakfast. But his everyman persona became fodder for ridicule. He was lampooned as a clumsy dolt and in June 1975 fell down the steps of Air Force One. Six months later he wiped out on the ski slopes.
President Lyndon Johnson was widely quoted as having stated that Congressman Ford was "so dumb he can't walk and chew gum at the same time". In fact, the jibe was crueller and coarser – Johnson had actually said "fart and chew gum".
Bob Hope, who like Mr Ford was a golfing enthusiast, once joked: "It's not hard to find Jerry Ford on a golf course – you just follow the wounded."
The Vietnam War ended in ignominy for America during his presidency. After the fall of Saigon in April 1975, Mr Ford, an early supporter of the war who urged heavier bombing, said: "Today, America can regain the sense of pride that existed before Vietnam. But it cannot be achieved by re-fighting a war that is finished as far as America is concerned."
Damaged by an ailing economy and a fierce primary election challenge from Ronald Reagan, he lost the Oval Office to Jimmy Carter.
Betty Ford, who announced her husband's death, was a divorcee and dancer when they married 58 years ago. She admitted to alcoholism and addiction to prescription drugs while First Lady and later founded the Betty Ford Centre for alcohol treatment and drug rehabilitation.
She said yesterday that despite suffering a series of health scares in recent years, her husband lived a life filled by "God, family and his country". "My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather has passed away," the former First Lady said in a statement.
sara1981
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Ford's state funeral to begin Friday
Ford's state funeral to begin Friday - Yahoo! News
WASHINGTON - Gerald R. Ford will be mourned in the rare and solemn spectacle of a state funeral crafted to honor his reverence for Congress, the institution that launched him to the presidency.
Ceremonies begin Friday in a California church, and end five days later with Ford's entombment on a hillside near his Grand Rapids, Mich., presidential museum.
In between, according to funeral details announced Wednesday, Ford's body will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda, offering both dignitaries and the public a chance to pay final respects to the former Michigan congressman who rose to the White House in the collapse of Richard Nixon's presidency.
And in a departure from tradition meant to highlight his long congressional service, Ford's remains will also lie in repose outside the doors of both the House and the Senate for short periods.
"I know personally how much those two tributes themselves meant to President Ford," said family representative Gregory D. Willard, who detailed arrangements in a news conference in Palm Desert, Calif.
The 38th president died Tuesday at age 93. He had been involved in his own funeral planning, as former presidents typically are.
The Capitol will intensify its preparations by closing for tours at noon Thursday. The public will be admitted to pay respects Saturday evening — sometime after a 6:30 p.m. arrival ceremony — and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST Sunday and Monday.
Events begin at St. Margaret's Church in Palm Desert, which Ford and his wife, Betty, frequently attended. A family prayer service will be followed by visitation by friends and a period of public repose.
On Saturday, Ford's body will be flown to Washington in late afternoon, his hearse pausing at the World War II memorial in joint tribute to the wartime Navy reserve veteran and his comrades in uniform.
The state funeral will be conducted in the Capitol Rotunda that evening and after that, the public will be able to file in to pay last respects. Ford was expected to lie in state until Tuesday morning, in a closed casket.
The last major event in Washington will be Tuesday morning, with a funeral service at the National Cathedral before Ford's interment the next day in Michigan.
The nation has witnessed just two presidential state funerals in over three decades — those of Ronald Reagan in 2004 and Lyndon Johnson in 1973. Nixon's family, acting on his wishes, opted out of the Washington traditions when he died in 1994, his presidency shortened and forever tainted by the Watergate scandal.
"The nation's appreciation for the contributions that President Ford made throughout his long and well-lived life are more than we could ever have anticipated," Betty Ford said in a statement thanking the multitudes who offered condolences.
"These kindnesses have made this difficult time more bearable."
Ford is to become the 11th president to lie in state in the Rotunda.
He served his Michigan district in the House for 25 years, rising to the vice presidency when scandal drove Spiro Agnew from office and then to the presidency when Watergate consumed Nixon.
One open question was how involved the funeral procession to the Capitol, often the most stirring of Washington's rituals of mourning, would be for a man whose modest ways and brief presidency set him apart from those honored with elaborate parades.
Planners are guided by the wishes of the family and any instructions from the president himself on how elaborate the events will be, how much of it takes place in Washington and more.
The Military District of Washington turned to the task quietly but with increasing urgency as Ford went through several bouts of ill health in recent years.
What happens in Washington, particularly, unfolds according to guidelines that go back to the mid-1800s and have been shaped over time.
No longer are government buildings draped in black, as they were in the time of Abraham Lincoln and before.
But if a chosen ceremony requires mourners to be seated, for example, seating arrangements are detailed with a precision dictated by tradition. The presidential party is followed by chiefs of state, arranged alphabetically by the English spelling of their countries.
Royalty representing chiefs of state come next, and then heads of governments followed by other officials.
Two presidents are buried at Arlington National Cemetery, John F. Kennedy and William H. Taft. Reagan was buried on the hilltop grounds of his presidential library in Simi Valley, Calif., in a dramatic sunset ceremony capping a week of official public mourning.
Ford's state funeral to begin Friday - Yahoo! News
WASHINGTON - Gerald R. Ford will be mourned in the rare and solemn spectacle of a state funeral crafted to honor his reverence for Congress, the institution that launched him to the presidency.
Ceremonies begin Friday in a California church, and end five days later with Ford's entombment on a hillside near his Grand Rapids, Mich., presidential museum.
In between, according to funeral details announced Wednesday, Ford's body will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda, offering both dignitaries and the public a chance to pay final respects to the former Michigan congressman who rose to the White House in the collapse of Richard Nixon's presidency.
And in a departure from tradition meant to highlight his long congressional service, Ford's remains will also lie in repose outside the doors of both the House and the Senate for short periods.
"I know personally how much those two tributes themselves meant to President Ford," said family representative Gregory D. Willard, who detailed arrangements in a news conference in Palm Desert, Calif.
The 38th president died Tuesday at age 93. He had been involved in his own funeral planning, as former presidents typically are.
The Capitol will intensify its preparations by closing for tours at noon Thursday. The public will be admitted to pay respects Saturday evening — sometime after a 6:30 p.m. arrival ceremony — and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST Sunday and Monday.
Events begin at St. Margaret's Church in Palm Desert, which Ford and his wife, Betty, frequently attended. A family prayer service will be followed by visitation by friends and a period of public repose.
On Saturday, Ford's body will be flown to Washington in late afternoon, his hearse pausing at the World War II memorial in joint tribute to the wartime Navy reserve veteran and his comrades in uniform.
The state funeral will be conducted in the Capitol Rotunda that evening and after that, the public will be able to file in to pay last respects. Ford was expected to lie in state until Tuesday morning, in a closed casket.
The last major event in Washington will be Tuesday morning, with a funeral service at the National Cathedral before Ford's interment the next day in Michigan.
The nation has witnessed just two presidential state funerals in over three decades — those of Ronald Reagan in 2004 and Lyndon Johnson in 1973. Nixon's family, acting on his wishes, opted out of the Washington traditions when he died in 1994, his presidency shortened and forever tainted by the Watergate scandal.
"The nation's appreciation for the contributions that President Ford made throughout his long and well-lived life are more than we could ever have anticipated," Betty Ford said in a statement thanking the multitudes who offered condolences.
"These kindnesses have made this difficult time more bearable."
Ford is to become the 11th president to lie in state in the Rotunda.
He served his Michigan district in the House for 25 years, rising to the vice presidency when scandal drove Spiro Agnew from office and then to the presidency when Watergate consumed Nixon.
One open question was how involved the funeral procession to the Capitol, often the most stirring of Washington's rituals of mourning, would be for a man whose modest ways and brief presidency set him apart from those honored with elaborate parades.
Planners are guided by the wishes of the family and any instructions from the president himself on how elaborate the events will be, how much of it takes place in Washington and more.
The Military District of Washington turned to the task quietly but with increasing urgency as Ford went through several bouts of ill health in recent years.
What happens in Washington, particularly, unfolds according to guidelines that go back to the mid-1800s and have been shaped over time.
No longer are government buildings draped in black, as they were in the time of Abraham Lincoln and before.
But if a chosen ceremony requires mourners to be seated, for example, seating arrangements are detailed with a precision dictated by tradition. The presidential party is followed by chiefs of state, arranged alphabetically by the English spelling of their countries.
Royalty representing chiefs of state come next, and then heads of governments followed by other officials.
Two presidents are buried at Arlington National Cemetery, John F. Kennedy and William H. Taft. Reagan was buried on the hilltop grounds of his presidential library in Simi Valley, Calif., in a dramatic sunset ceremony capping a week of official public mourning.
ShadowKnight06
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Yes what a tragic event since the death of Ronald Regean, but Ford will be always remembered for his famous day to pull America back together during the dark day following watergate mess. Even Ford believed this Nixon to be pardon when it is being doubt by others. Interesting thing Ford recorded the secret message this he dont support Iraq War and view it as grave mistake performed by President Bush. Every President of US have their own viewpoint and do think what is best for America. I guess this Jimmy Carter is oldest former President alive as of today..anyone, correct me if I am wrong thanks!
SJCSue
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I think the oldest living president is George Bush (the 1st).
sablescort
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Yes that is correct George Herbert Walker Bush is now the oldest living President.
Living Presidents from date of birth:
1) George Herbert Walker Bush-June 12, 1924
2) Jimmy Carter-October 1, 1924
3) George Walker Bush-July 6, 1946
4) Bill Clinton-August 19, 1946
You will notice that 2 oldest were born in 1924 separated only by almost 4 months then u have the 2 youngest born in 1946 separated by only 1 month of each other. Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford shared the same birth year, 1913: Nixon on January 9 and Ford on July 14.
sablescort
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Yes u have to remember this for the father: George Herbert Walker Bush and the son: George Walker Bush. I know it aint easy but its only the 2nd father-son President combo since John Adams (2nd President) and John Quincy Adams (6th President)
Ahh Thank you Sablescort, perhaps it would be easier to remember if they didn't have the same first name as George, but I can see the father has middle name of Herbert Walker while son's middle name is Walker...am I correct?...
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Yep, the Flag should be flown half mast/staff for 30 days from his death date.I noticed alots of the American flags are at half-mast because of President Ford's funeral. God Bless the Ford family.
sara1981
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Bush pays Ford his last respects
BBC NEWS | Americas | Bush pays Ford his last respects
US President George W Bush and his wife Laura have paid their last respects to ex-President Gerald Ford as he lies in state in Washington's Capitol building.
Thousands of people have braved the rain to file past the flag-draped coffin on New Year's Day, the third day of the lying in state.
Mr Bush will give a eulogy at a Washington funeral service on Tuesday.
Mr Ford's casket will then go to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for burial near his presidential library on Wednesday.
As part of the Washington ceremonies, Mr Ford's body will be transferred to a place just outside the Senate chamber ahead of the funeral service, in the National Cathedral.
Mr Ford died on 26 December aged 93, the longest-living US president.
'Integrity'
One of Monday's visitors to the Capitol, 56-year-old John Erb from Alexandria, Virginia, said he had been in the Army during Mr Ford's administration.
He said he had come to pay his respects because "it's part of the old commander in chief thing."
Two of Mr Ford's sons, Jack and Steven, greeted some of the Americans who filed past the casket and honour guard on Sunday.
Bob Dole, Mr Ford's vice-presidential running mate in 1976, was among those who attended.
Mr Ford took office after Richard Nixon quit over the Watergate scandal in 1974.
He served for two years but lost to Jimmy Carter in 1976, a year after the US accepted defeat in the Vietnam War.
Many mourners at the Capitol remembered his most difficult decision - pardoning Nixon of any crimes committed during his presidency, a decision analysts say probably cost him the 1976 election.
One attendee, John Banks from Georgia, told the Associated Press: "I thought when he pardoned Nixon he stood up and did what the country needed, not what would further his political career."
Another mourner, Jack Oslund of Virginia, said: "I think what he brought back to the White House was integrity, trust."
In an interview with the Washington Post, conducted shortly before his death and published on Sunday, Mr Ford expressed regret over the Vietnam War.
"I hope we never live through another era like that in American history. The answers were very evasive. The results were very disillusioning," he said.
BBC NEWS | Americas | Bush pays Ford his last respects
US President George W Bush and his wife Laura have paid their last respects to ex-President Gerald Ford as he lies in state in Washington's Capitol building.
Thousands of people have braved the rain to file past the flag-draped coffin on New Year's Day, the third day of the lying in state.
Mr Bush will give a eulogy at a Washington funeral service on Tuesday.
Mr Ford's casket will then go to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for burial near his presidential library on Wednesday.
As part of the Washington ceremonies, Mr Ford's body will be transferred to a place just outside the Senate chamber ahead of the funeral service, in the National Cathedral.
Mr Ford died on 26 December aged 93, the longest-living US president.
'Integrity'
One of Monday's visitors to the Capitol, 56-year-old John Erb from Alexandria, Virginia, said he had been in the Army during Mr Ford's administration.
He said he had come to pay his respects because "it's part of the old commander in chief thing."
Two of Mr Ford's sons, Jack and Steven, greeted some of the Americans who filed past the casket and honour guard on Sunday.
Bob Dole, Mr Ford's vice-presidential running mate in 1976, was among those who attended.
Mr Ford took office after Richard Nixon quit over the Watergate scandal in 1974.
He served for two years but lost to Jimmy Carter in 1976, a year after the US accepted defeat in the Vietnam War.
Many mourners at the Capitol remembered his most difficult decision - pardoning Nixon of any crimes committed during his presidency, a decision analysts say probably cost him the 1976 election.
One attendee, John Banks from Georgia, told the Associated Press: "I thought when he pardoned Nixon he stood up and did what the country needed, not what would further his political career."
Another mourner, Jack Oslund of Virginia, said: "I think what he brought back to the White House was integrity, trust."
In an interview with the Washington Post, conducted shortly before his death and published on Sunday, Mr Ford expressed regret over the Vietnam War.
"I hope we never live through another era like that in American history. The answers were very evasive. The results were very disillusioning," he said.
sara1981
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- Joined
- Apr 5, 2004
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Thousands queue to pay last respects to Ford
Telegraph | News | Thousands queue to pay last respects to Ford
President Bush joined thousands of Americans in paying tribute to the late Gerald Ford, whose body has lain in state on Washington's Capitol Hill for three days.
People flocked to pay their respects to the former president before today's memorial service in the National Cathedral in Washington, which will be attended by all of the living former presidents and where Mr Bush will deliver a eulogy.
Mr Ford will be buried in Grand Rapids, Michigan, tomorrow.
Americans who flocked to the Rotunda yesterday were there to remember a president who many believed helped restore some faith in politics after the twin traumas of the Vietnam war and President Richard Nixon's resignation after the Watergate scandal.
John Banks drove 10 hours from Georgia to acknowledge Mr Ford's service. "I thought when he pardoned Mr Nixon he stood up and did what the country needed, not what would further his political career. I don't think we have presidents that do that any more."
Up to 2,000 people an hour walked past Mr Ford's flag-draped casket and on Sunday some mourners were greeted by two of Mr Ford's sons.
"Thank you for coming on behalf of the family," Jack Ford told those who came.
Mr Ford served in Congress for 25 years before he was appointed vice president by Mr Nixon in 1973 after the previous vice president, Spiro Agnew, resigned over a corruption scandal.
Mr Ford's decision to pardon his predecessor is generally viewed as contributing to his defeat by Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election.
Apart from the crisis prompted by the Watergate scandal, Ford also inherited the final phase of military involvement in Vietnam.
In an interview with the Washington Post before his death, Mr Ford recalled the US presence in Vietnam with regret.
"I hope we never live through another era like that in American history. The answers were very evasive. The results were very disillusioning," he said in an interview agreed on condition it would not be released until after his death, which happened last Tuesday at the age of 93.
Mr Ford was the only president never to have been elected to either the presidency or the vice-presidency.
Telegraph | News | Thousands queue to pay last respects to Ford
President Bush joined thousands of Americans in paying tribute to the late Gerald Ford, whose body has lain in state on Washington's Capitol Hill for three days.
People flocked to pay their respects to the former president before today's memorial service in the National Cathedral in Washington, which will be attended by all of the living former presidents and where Mr Bush will deliver a eulogy.
Mr Ford will be buried in Grand Rapids, Michigan, tomorrow.
Americans who flocked to the Rotunda yesterday were there to remember a president who many believed helped restore some faith in politics after the twin traumas of the Vietnam war and President Richard Nixon's resignation after the Watergate scandal.
John Banks drove 10 hours from Georgia to acknowledge Mr Ford's service. "I thought when he pardoned Mr Nixon he stood up and did what the country needed, not what would further his political career. I don't think we have presidents that do that any more."
Up to 2,000 people an hour walked past Mr Ford's flag-draped casket and on Sunday some mourners were greeted by two of Mr Ford's sons.
"Thank you for coming on behalf of the family," Jack Ford told those who came.
Mr Ford served in Congress for 25 years before he was appointed vice president by Mr Nixon in 1973 after the previous vice president, Spiro Agnew, resigned over a corruption scandal.
Mr Ford's decision to pardon his predecessor is generally viewed as contributing to his defeat by Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election.
Apart from the crisis prompted by the Watergate scandal, Ford also inherited the final phase of military involvement in Vietnam.
In an interview with the Washington Post before his death, Mr Ford recalled the US presence in Vietnam with regret.
"I hope we never live through another era like that in American history. The answers were very evasive. The results were very disillusioning," he said in an interview agreed on condition it would not be released until after his death, which happened last Tuesday at the age of 93.
Mr Ford was the only president never to have been elected to either the presidency or the vice-presidency.
sara1981
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- Joined
- Apr 5, 2004
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- 7,870
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- 71
Bush's farewell to Ford
Sky News: World News, Global News and International breaking News.
Sky News: World News, Global News and International breaking News.
sara1981
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2004
- Messages
- 7,870
- Reaction score
- 71
Betty Ford prays at her husband's casket
Betty Ford prays at her husband's casket - CNN.com
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Betty Ford clutched her son Michael's hand as he helped her walk across the Capitol Rotunda where the body of Gerald R. Ford lay in state Monday evening.
The Rotunda had been cleared shortly before the public viewing ended so that the widow of the former president, accompanied by their three sons, a daughter and their spouses, could visit quietly.
Betty Ford, 88, sat with her family for several minutes, observing the changing of the honor guard, before she approached the casket.
The former first lady gently laid her hand on her husband's flag-draped casket and then stood silently in prayer.
Betty Ford's moving gesture came shortly after President Bush and Laura Bush briefly paid their respects to the 38th president.
The Bushes bowed their heads in silence for the man the president said used a calm, steady hand to guide the nation after the tumultuous Watergate years.
Ford died last Tuesday at 93.
Monday marked the third day of public mourning for the former leader.
His casket Monday was illuminated by spotlights and guarded at each corner by members of the military honor guard.
Bush, who said nothing during his one-minute stop in the Rotunda, is to eulogize Ford on Tuesday at the former president's funeral at the National Cathedral.
After he died last week, Bush called him a "true gentleman" and recounted how Ford stepped into the Oval Office after President Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace after the Watergate scandal.
"President Ford was a great American who gave many years of dedicated service to our country," Bush said in a statement released after his death.
"On August 9, 1974, after a long career in the House of Representatives and service as vice president, he assumed the presidency in an hour of national turmoil and division.
"With his quiet integrity, common sense and kind instincts, President Ford helped heal our land and restore public confidence in the presidency."
Bush's visit at the Rotunda was his first public event of the new year, after returning from a weeklong stay at his Texas ranch.
Afterward, the Bushes drove to Blair House, across the street from the White House, to visit for a half-hour with Betty Ford.
The Bushes then walked down Pennsylvania Avenue back to the Executive Mansion.
Other dignitaries who paid their respects Monday were Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, and his wife, Barbara; former President Bill Clinton and former first lady, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York; Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California, who this week becomes the first woman speaker of the House; Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts; former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld; and former Vice President Dan Quayle.
Members of Ford's family greeted some of the mourners, who came to the Capitol on New Year's Day wearing parkas, packing umbrellas and clutching snack sacks. (Washington gives Ford final farewell )
An estimated 2,000 people per hour filed past the casket on Monday.
Karen Olson, 53, of Herndon, Virginia, said the rain couldn't dampen her determination to pay her respects. Her mother, who's now deceased, was on his staff, she said.
"He was a big part of my life," said Olson.
She was among the people lined up before 9 a.m. ET to enter the Capitol building. "I have a lot of ties to his family."
"The few times that I met him, he was just really nice," she said.
Both of Olson's parents have passed away.
"I kind of felt like I wanted to be there for them," she said. "There's just an emotional connection there."
Kirk Scofield, 44, and his wife, Mary Scofield, 50, of Sterling, Virginia, lined up early too.
Mary, who said she had "six hours of food" in her backpack, expected a long wait, though they had been in line less than an hour.
"She looks like she's ready to go camping," Kirk joked.
Inside the Rotunda, Ford's daughter and son handed remembrance cards to some of the visitors.
The blue cards had the presidential, vice presidential and House of Representatives seals and a biography of Ford on one side.
On the other was a photograph of the former president in the Oval Office, his head bowed.
The message on the card: "The family of Gerald R. Ford deeply appreciates your prayers and many kindnesses as together we celebrate and honor the life of a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather and the 38th president of the United States."
Michael Gerald Ford, the former president's son, shook 8-year-old Christopher Witkowski's hand and gave him a blue remembrance card.
"My father would have wanted you to have this," he told Christopher, from Alexandria, Virginia.
Ford's sister, Susan Ford Bales, stood nearby, greeting others who had come to pay their respects.
Two of the former president's grandchildren, Heather Vance and Tyne Vance Berlanga, embraced after they were overcome with emotion at the casket.
Ford was appointed vice president by Nixon to replace Spiro Agnew, who resigned in a bribery scandal stemming from his days as Maryland governor.
After Nixon resigned in disgrace, Ford assumed the presidency for 2 1/2 years.
A month after taking office, Ford pardoned Nixon for any Watergate crimes he might have committed -- a move that political analysts say was perhaps the main reason he lost the 1976 election to Jimmy Carter.
"At a time that the nation was under a lot of pressure, a lot of fire, he stood up for the things that he thought were right at the time," Edna Reeves, 61, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, said as she walked to the Capitol in the rain.
"Much blessings to him for knowing compassion enough to pardon President Nixon. I think that was beautiful. You see he didn't think of himself, he thought about the nation."
Betty Ford prays at her husband's casket - CNN.com
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Betty Ford clutched her son Michael's hand as he helped her walk across the Capitol Rotunda where the body of Gerald R. Ford lay in state Monday evening.
The Rotunda had been cleared shortly before the public viewing ended so that the widow of the former president, accompanied by their three sons, a daughter and their spouses, could visit quietly.
Betty Ford, 88, sat with her family for several minutes, observing the changing of the honor guard, before she approached the casket.
The former first lady gently laid her hand on her husband's flag-draped casket and then stood silently in prayer.
Betty Ford's moving gesture came shortly after President Bush and Laura Bush briefly paid their respects to the 38th president.
The Bushes bowed their heads in silence for the man the president said used a calm, steady hand to guide the nation after the tumultuous Watergate years.
Ford died last Tuesday at 93.
Monday marked the third day of public mourning for the former leader.
His casket Monday was illuminated by spotlights and guarded at each corner by members of the military honor guard.
Bush, who said nothing during his one-minute stop in the Rotunda, is to eulogize Ford on Tuesday at the former president's funeral at the National Cathedral.
After he died last week, Bush called him a "true gentleman" and recounted how Ford stepped into the Oval Office after President Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace after the Watergate scandal.
"President Ford was a great American who gave many years of dedicated service to our country," Bush said in a statement released after his death.
"On August 9, 1974, after a long career in the House of Representatives and service as vice president, he assumed the presidency in an hour of national turmoil and division.
"With his quiet integrity, common sense and kind instincts, President Ford helped heal our land and restore public confidence in the presidency."
Bush's visit at the Rotunda was his first public event of the new year, after returning from a weeklong stay at his Texas ranch.
Afterward, the Bushes drove to Blair House, across the street from the White House, to visit for a half-hour with Betty Ford.
The Bushes then walked down Pennsylvania Avenue back to the Executive Mansion.
Other dignitaries who paid their respects Monday were Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, and his wife, Barbara; former President Bill Clinton and former first lady, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York; Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California, who this week becomes the first woman speaker of the House; Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts; former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld; and former Vice President Dan Quayle.
Members of Ford's family greeted some of the mourners, who came to the Capitol on New Year's Day wearing parkas, packing umbrellas and clutching snack sacks. (Washington gives Ford final farewell )
An estimated 2,000 people per hour filed past the casket on Monday.
Karen Olson, 53, of Herndon, Virginia, said the rain couldn't dampen her determination to pay her respects. Her mother, who's now deceased, was on his staff, she said.
"He was a big part of my life," said Olson.
She was among the people lined up before 9 a.m. ET to enter the Capitol building. "I have a lot of ties to his family."
"The few times that I met him, he was just really nice," she said.
Both of Olson's parents have passed away.
"I kind of felt like I wanted to be there for them," she said. "There's just an emotional connection there."
Kirk Scofield, 44, and his wife, Mary Scofield, 50, of Sterling, Virginia, lined up early too.
Mary, who said she had "six hours of food" in her backpack, expected a long wait, though they had been in line less than an hour.
"She looks like she's ready to go camping," Kirk joked.
Inside the Rotunda, Ford's daughter and son handed remembrance cards to some of the visitors.
The blue cards had the presidential, vice presidential and House of Representatives seals and a biography of Ford on one side.
On the other was a photograph of the former president in the Oval Office, his head bowed.
The message on the card: "The family of Gerald R. Ford deeply appreciates your prayers and many kindnesses as together we celebrate and honor the life of a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather and the 38th president of the United States."
Michael Gerald Ford, the former president's son, shook 8-year-old Christopher Witkowski's hand and gave him a blue remembrance card.
"My father would have wanted you to have this," he told Christopher, from Alexandria, Virginia.
Ford's sister, Susan Ford Bales, stood nearby, greeting others who had come to pay their respects.
Two of the former president's grandchildren, Heather Vance and Tyne Vance Berlanga, embraced after they were overcome with emotion at the casket.
Ford was appointed vice president by Nixon to replace Spiro Agnew, who resigned in a bribery scandal stemming from his days as Maryland governor.
After Nixon resigned in disgrace, Ford assumed the presidency for 2 1/2 years.
A month after taking office, Ford pardoned Nixon for any Watergate crimes he might have committed -- a move that political analysts say was perhaps the main reason he lost the 1976 election to Jimmy Carter.
"At a time that the nation was under a lot of pressure, a lot of fire, he stood up for the things that he thought were right at the time," Edna Reeves, 61, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, said as she walked to the Capitol in the rain.
"Much blessings to him for knowing compassion enough to pardon President Nixon. I think that was beautiful. You see he didn't think of himself, he thought about the nation."