Fifty years ago, the country celebrated the Bicentennial, marking 200 years since declaring independence from Great Britain. President Ford was in office that day, and he made the most of nearly every minute of it! Using the President’s Daily Diary – a minute by minute log of the President’s official and social activities – we can see just how busy President Ford was (photos, documents and video are not part of the Diary, but provide illustrative flair to this blog).
6:58am – The President and Susan Ford attended special Holy Communion Bicentennial observance services at St. John’s Episcopal Church.
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Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
9:05am – The President participated in the Valley Forge State Park Bicentennial activities sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bicentennial Commission.
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Courtesy Gerald R. Ford President Library and Museum
9:40am – The President participated in a signing ceremony for H.R. 5621, making Valley Forge an Historical site.
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Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
10:25am – The President and Susan Ford attended a Special Bicentennial Program hosted by the city of Philadelphia (at Independence Hall).
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Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
12:59pm – The President and Susan Ford flew by helicopter from Philadelphia Municipal parking lot to the USS Forrestal flight deck in New York Harbor, New York.
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Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
1:53pm – The President participated in a Bicentennial Bell ringing ceremony signifying the simultaneous ringing of bells across America in celebration of the country’s 200th anniversary.
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Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
2:35pm – The President, First Lady, and Susan Ford flew by helicopter from the USS Forrestal to the USS Nashville flight deck. Enroute, the Presidential helicopter circled Ellis Island and Liberty Island.
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Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
3:10pm – The Presidential party viewed the passing of Tall Ships participating in Operation Sail 1976.
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Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
4:20pm – The President, the First Lady, and Susan Ford flew by the “Spirit of ‘76” from Newark International Airport to Washington National Airport, Washington, DC.
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Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
8:34pm – The President talked with Bill Dooley, a patient of the Volunteers of America Convalescent Hospital in Torrance, California. The President’s conversation was amplified to other patients in the hospital.
Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
[~9:00pm -] The President and the First Lady watched the National Fireworks display on the Washington Monument Grounds.
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Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
11:43pm – The President and the First Lady returned to the second floor Residence.
President Ford reflected on his busy schedule over that Fourth of July weekend in his memoir, A Time to Heal. He hoped his “remarks that historic day… would make all Americans proud of their heritage.”
He also wrote, “As Air Force One returned to the capital that afternoon, aides gave me reports that millions of Americans were praying in their churches and synagogues, marching in their city squares and dancing in their streets. Rarely in the history of the world had so many people turned out so spontaneously to express the love they felt for their country. Not a single incident marred our festival. The nation’s wounds had healed. We had regained our pride and rediscovered our faith and, in doing so, we had laid the foundation for a future that had to be filled with hope.”
Author: Brooke Clement