Most people have always had to go home and turn on the nightly news to see the President of the United States.But not my dad. Seeing the president was an everyday thing for my dad,just part of his job with the White House Transportation Corps. (Click here to see Presidential Service Certificate)
As a military chauffeur,my dad served in the White House Corps under three presidents; Lyndon Johnson,Richard Nixon and GeraldFord. (To see a personally signed picture from President Ford click here) And though,according to my dad,"Secret Service agents usually drove the President," the job gave him the opportunity to chauffeur important people involved with the White House,and many times the presidents themselves.
"I usually drove members of the Presidents family" dad says. "During President's Johnson's term I drove Lucy(the president's daughter) to school most every day," and later under President Nixon,"I used to drive out and get Tricia Nixon a pizza every now and then at night.
"Let's Go!"
Lyndon & Lady Bird Johnson This picture was given to my dad by L.B.J. The back of it is dated July 17 1964.
The first time he drove a president, it happened unexpectedly. President Lyndon Johnson just came up to his car in front of the White House and said "Let's go!''' Dad says. " I was real nervous because usually you better find out where he was going before he got in the car.
"The main thing I was worried about was keeping in mind where I was at and where the nearest hospital was," dad says
One of the problems of driving for for the White House was having to continuously change travel routes.
"We'd never make a pattern of taking somebody the same way," dad says, which meant changing the route before the passenger was in the car.
Driving members of the presidential party presented other problems as well.
"When people would see it was a presidential car, they'd try to get real close or drive up beside it so they could see inside," dad says. But because any other car could hold a potential assassin, the drivers were required to keep the other cars away. This didn't always work ,though.
"Some cars would just keep right on coming,wouldn't even slow down" dad says,"so we'd have to run them off the road."
To see my dad and fellow workers with President Johnson click here
"Evasive Driving"
Before he could join the Transportation Corps, my dad,like each of the chauffeurs,had to pass the FBI Evasive Driving Course.
"We did everything they (the FBI) did except the high speed stuff," dad says. "But we were used to high speeds."
One of the reasons my dad was used to high speeds was the passengers themselves. Of the members of the Kennedy administration still working in the White House after the assassination dad said "Those people were always in a hurry,especially Eunice Kennedy Shriver (J.F.K.'s sister.) You'd be going 80, 90 miles an hour and you'd still be going to slow for her."
Even though the driver's weren't members of the administration, dad say's the president's and other officials "usually talked pretty free around us. But we knew we couldn't tell anybody the things they said."
Dad says all the the president's were very friendly towards him, "and let it be known they appreciated what we did."
President Johnson was a man of contrasting moods dad says. "He could seem mean as hell, but he'd always turn around and do something nice for you. He made sure we each got something for Christmas"(Click here to see a personal Christmas greeting from President Johnson.)
Dad also said that Johnson would play around with the members of the Transportation Corps, especially during times they were trying to look their best. "If an important person from another country was coming up the White House drive in a car,and one of us was standing at attention, waiting to open the door, he'd push behind one of our knees so our leg would jerk," dad said. " I'd just kind of move away so he couldn't get me, and he'd laugh."
Johnson and Vietnam
The Vietnam War really bothered Johnson dad says. "Johnson would usually get up around 4:30 am and go to the Situation Room to be briefed on the war. He worried alot about the war and that's what probably killed him." He use to refer affectionately to the soldiers in Vietnam as "my boys."
Many times dad would deliver the morning papers and The Congressional Record to Johnson early in the morning, and Johnson would usually be waiting at the door for him. Sometimes it would be late coming of the press and when dad got there Johnson would say"where in the hell have you been?" dad would say "it just came out" to which Johnson would reply"that aint no damn excuse" and that "you didn't know if he was joking or serious."
When Johnson would come back from a trip to Texas, he'd usually arrive in Washington D.C. at about 3 or 4 in the morning, he would step off the plane and with a sly grin say "I hope I didn't keep y'all up."
>President Johnson gave my dad several pictures from his personal collection,if you would like to see some of them , Click here to enter my President Johnson Photo Gallery.
Nixon the Nicest
Of the three president's he worked under, dad said President Nixon was the nicest to the members of the Transportation Corps.
"Not long after President Nixon came in he had us up in the White House for coffee and doughnuts, and a church service," he said. " you were a baby, only a couple of months old, and President Nixon took you from mom, and held you for awhile...he was real nice."
During the Watergate scandal dad said it was easy to see the physical effect the pressure was having on Nixon, and "you could tell he didn't want to go out of office."
Dad said it was "sad" when he left and that "it was depressing around there for a while."
Sometimes he would have to take John Dean(White House counsel) home, during the Watergate scandal. He said it was "aggravating trying to avoid the press" and Dean would have to sneak into his house a back way to avoid the press. He also drove Watergate figures H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman(White House aides) and said that they were always "very friendly and kind to me."
The president's and their families weren't the only important people dad chauffeured. Besides driving in three inaugural parades---"Johnson had half of Texas in Washington for his"--(Click here to see an Inaugural Invitation.) Dad drove several celebrities to and from the White House including Bob Hope,Mr &Mrs Charleton Heston,Hugh O'Brian,Pearl Baily, Stan Musial,the Shah of Iran and astronauts.(To see signed picture from the crew of Apollo 12 click here) Dad also drove or talked with John Wayne,Jack Benny,Kurt Douglass,Barbara Striesand,Buck Owens,Roy Acuff,Johnny Cash,Jill St.John, Gene Autry,Robert and Ethyl Kennedy,Ted Kennedy,Walter Cronkite,Waylon Jennings and former Beetle George Harrison.(I still have George Harrison's autograph.) Ethyl Merman"bought me a hamburger" dad said. Dad also drove actor George Hamilton when he dated Linda Johnson (President Johnson's daughter) and said that Hamilton "always left his wallet in the car,but it never had any money in it."
A celebrity who wasn't popular with the Transportation Corps was Barbara Striesand, and though she never bothered him "she gave a lot of the drivers a hard time." Dad said.
After being the Shah of Iran's personal chauffeur for 2 days the Shah "gave me a 100 dollar bill." dad said.
Drove Kissinger A Lot
One of the most interesting people dad had the opportunity to work for was the Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
"I had to drive Kissinger a lot, and he'd read all the time," dad says. "And a lot of people would be shocked if they knew how much he cussed."
Dad said Kissinger was so overbearing that most drivers were nervous around him. " But I'd just be firm with him," dad said. "And besides, sometimes I'd tell him somebody was behind us and I needed to see if they were following us. That would always wake him up," he said smiling. One time he made a smart remark and dad told him "Dr Kissinger not everybody can be as smart as you,their has to be dumb people like me to drive people like you around." Kissinger got real quiet and didn't say much the rest of the ride.
"Kissinger would throw something, papers and stuff in the front seat and say 'Guard this with you're life,''' dad says. "If you had to go to the bathroom, you'd be hurting."
One thing dad learned from his job was the lack of privacy allowed a president and his family. "about the only privacy they ever had was inside the White House," dad said.
Dad retired in 1976, he said the secret service tried to get him to work for them after he retired because "you know how everything works, and you already have a top secret clearance,"something he said they do for everyone that retires from positions similar to his.
"You wouldn't be doing any of the top level work, but you'd be working for them,"he said. But he turned them down.
How much do you know about Johnson, Nixon and Ford?
Click here to play my Johnson,Nixon and Ford Trivia Quiz.Thanks for visiting my web site,be sure to come back and visit, I will be adding new pictures and stories soon.Don't forget to sign the Guestbook at the bottom of the page.
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