Well, a former president and lived to be 93. That's pretty good going. And by all account a very nice man. And it's interesting that he really didn't seek the Presidency, it kind of sought him.
Much of what I've read in the last couple of days has focused on his pardon of Nixon and how that wrecked his re-election chances in 1976 against Carter. But my recollection (and this was mentioned on one of the cable news shows last night) was that what really sunk him was his assertion in the foreign policy debate with Carter that Poland was a free nation. As Carter commented "the Eastern Europeans would be surprised to know that..."). He was in a tie in the polls at that point, but the statement, and his failure to clarify what he meant, put his polling into a free fall for awhile. He rallied but came up short against Carter.
Here's an interesting op ed in the NY Times about an incident in his naval career in the Pacific in WWII. Ford was on a small aircraft carrier, the Monterey. Unfortunately you'll only be able to access the article for free for a week
How Lieutenant Ford Saved His Ship - New York Times
Admiral Halsey had ordered Captain Ingersoll to abandon ship, and the Monterey was ablaze from stem to stern as Lieutenant Ford stood near the helm, awaiting his orders. “We can fix this,” Captain Ingersoll said, and with a nod from his skipper, Lieutenant Ford donned a gas mask and led a fire brigade below.
Aircraft-gas tanks exploded as hose handlers slid across the burning decks. Into this furnace Lieutenant Ford led his men, his first order of business to carry out the dead and injured. Hours later he and his team emerged burned and exhausted, but they had put out the fire.
Three destroyers were eventually capsized by Typhoon Cobra, a dozen more ships were seriously damaged, more than 150 planes were destroyed, and 793 men lost their lives. It was the Navy’s worst “defeat” of World War II. But the Monterey and nearly all of its men survived to take part in the battle of Okinawa, and the future president ended his Navy stint in 1946 with the rank of lieutenant commander.
Like his fellow World War II veterans, Mr. Ford returned home and resumed his life, rarely speaking publicly of his heroism. But in contrast to the public’s image of him as a clumsy nonentity, Mr. Ford was a man whose grace under pressure saved his ship and hundreds of men on it.
The Washington Post editorialized:
Gerald R. Ford - washingtonpost.com
But what hurt him most was an act of his own, taken one month into his presidency: the pardoning of Richard Nixon for whatever the former president had done or might have done. Today, with the passions of the period greatly diminished, it's hard to recall how much discord that decision created, even among those who believed Mr. Ford to be a trustworthy successor to Mr. Nixon. It's also hard, from today's vantage point, to see how an indictment and trial would have done the country much good. The pardon may have come too soon and been too broad, but it was basically the right thing to do. It hurt Mr. Ford politically, however, probably costing him the 1976 election.
In the spring of 2001, Mr. Ford received a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award for that decision. The late Mary McGrory recalled in her column in The Post the uproar that had followed the pardon, and noted: "I myself contributed to the din with a series of screeds about unequal justice. But almost 27 years later, it looks a little different. What seemed then to be cynicism now looks more like courage. A most dubious decision has acquired the patina of the only one possible."
In January 1977, Jimmy Carter began his inaugural address: "I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land." That still stands, both as a tribute to Gerald Ford and as a reminder to his successors of the importance of what used to be praised as the gentlemanly virtues.
And here's something else, sent to me by my friend Maria Abonnel, who used to work for the National Park Service - so did Ford! Ithink this is kind of cool.
National Park Service News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 27, 2006
David Barna 202 208-6843
Gerry Gaumer 202 208-4989
Gerald R. Ford: Park Ranger,
38th President of the United States.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Gerald R. Ford holds a special place in the heart of
the National Park Service family. He will be remembered by the world for
his many accomplishments as President of the United States and his
compassion in healing the nation’s wounds following the war in Vietnam.
For the National Park Service, he is considered one of our own; he is
the only American President to have served as a park ranger in the
National Park Service.
In the summer of 1936, Gerald Ford worked as a seasonal park ranger at
Yellowstone National Park. Ford later recalled that time as, “One of the
greatest summers of my life.” According to his supervisor at
Yellowstone, Canyon District Ranger Frank Anderson, Ford was “a darned
good ranger.” While serving in Yellowstone, one of Ford’s assignments
was as an armed guard on the bear-feeding truck. The National Park
Service no longer feeds the bears, but Ford always remembered that duty
and often regaled his family with stories about the bear-feeding truck.
During his summer at Yellowstone, Ford also worked in the Canyon Hotel
and Lodge meeting and greeting VIPS, a job Ford explained to his
supervisor was “undemocratic and un-American to give special attention
to VIPs.” According to Wayne Repogle, Ford’s roommate that summer, one
of the duties that Ford particularly enjoyed was the early morning
check. From 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. every morning, each automobile in camp had
to be checked for make, model, state and license number. Repogle
indicated that the rangers had to run most of the time to get 150 to 200
licenses listed in two hours. As a football player, Ford was very fit
and saw this duty as an opportunity to stay in shape. Repogle stated
that Ford genuinely enjoyed, “everything we rangers had to do.”
As President of the United States, Ford oversaw an era when the National
Park Service, under the leadership of Director Gary Everhardt, tightened
the criteria for national parklands. Previously, for an area to be
recommended for inclusion in the National Park System, an area had to be
considered nationally significant and lend itself to administration,
preservation, and public use. The new emphasis would also consider
whether the area was assured of adequate protection outside the System
and whether it would be available for public appreciation and use under
such protection. During his time in office, President Ford added
eighteen new areas to the National Park System. (See attached list)
The National Park Service family extends its heartfelt condolences to
the Ford family at this difficult time and remembers one of its own
fondly. We respect him as one of the pioneers in the field of rangering,
and as a President that cared deeply for the National Park Service.
Click on the link below for a photo of President Ford in Yellowstone
National Park, summer of 1936.
http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/refdesk/GRFord.jpg
Areas Added to the National Park System under
President Gerald R. Ford
· Boston National Historical Park, MA
· Big Cypress National Preserve, FL
· Big Thicket National Preserve, TX
· Clara Barton National Historic Site, MD
· John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, OR
· Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, ND
· Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, NY
· Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, AL
· Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, OH
· Canaveral National Seashore, FL
· Chickasaw National Recreation Area, OK
· Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, AK/WA
· Valley Forge National Historical Park, PA
· Ninety Six National Historic Site, SC
· Obed Wild and Scenic River, TN
· Congaree Swamp National Monument, SC
· Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site, CA
· Monocacy National Battlefield, MD
Comments