GERALD R. FORD DIES

President Ford was a rather refreshing individual. He reportedly never dreamed of becoming president, and then all of a sudden in the middle of the Watergate brouhaha, the statesman from Grand Rapids, Michigan was thrust on the national scene. It was a critical time in the history of country, and President Ford was a steadying influence...one who built bridges rather than walls. The right man at the right time. We could certainly use a few men and women with the same qualities he possessed, in Washington today!

The photos were taken by me with my little Kodak Instamatic camera in May, 1976. President Ford was an Honorary Grand Marshal of the Parade of Bands during Tulip Time. President Ford not only remembered his roots, he appreciated them. Check out the watchful eyes of the Secret Service detail as they scanned the parade route looking for a errant wooden shoe.