Posted on 12/27/2006 4:13:20 PM PST by kristinn
Funeral events will begin Friday when the casket, accompanied by Mrs. Ford and family members, will arrive at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert.
A private prayer service for family will be held, followed by visitation for invited friends before a public viewing begins about 4:20 p.m. PST.
On Saturday, the casket will be taken from St. Margaret's at 9 a.m. PST to Palm Springs International Airport, where it will depart at 10 a.m. PST for Andrews Air Force Base, Md.
On arrival, a motorcade will take the casket to Washington, D.C., stopping en route for a ceremony at the World War II Memorial, before reaching the Capitol for a state funeral in the rotunda.
A period of lying in state will begin after the funeral. Public viewing will continue on Sunday and New Year's Day.
On Jan. 2, the casket will be moved to outside the chamber of the U.S. Senate for a period of repose and then will be taken to the National Cathedral for a funeral.
The casket will then be taken to Andrews Air Force Base and flown to Grand Rapids, Mich., where it will be taken to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum for a service and public viewing.
On Jan. 3, the casket will be taken to Grace Church in Grand Rapids for an afternoon funeral service. It will then be returned to the presidential museum for interment on the north grounds.
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An official website has been established in tribute to President Ford: GeraldFordMemorial.com
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Thanks for posting this. He did serve his country well.
He was a good man, great president. Even the democrats seemed to have stopped bashing Bush now realising that Presidents are not immortal
I'm glad he'll be having a state funeral.
Semper Fi, Mr. President Ford.
Amen, God blessed a great but weary country with a good man at the right time.
Rest in Peace Sir.
Has any President NOT had one?
I heard over Fox News, that Rummy is delivering one of the eulogies.
Thank you, kristinn. Rest in peace, President Ford.
That will be wonderful.
Burial on the museum grounds.
Richard Nixon did not have one. (He was entitled to one, but did not want one).
Richard Nixon
Nixon didn't have a State funeral. It was a public service in California, but not a State funeral.
R.I.P. President Gerald Ford
I salute this man who tried his best to bind the wounds of our country. I didn't appreciate him when he was doing the job. (Some democrats eventually DO get the message.)
God bless and rest your soul, sir.
Back in the 60's I spent my summers in Lake City, Michigan. Congressman Ford would almost always walk in the 4th of July parade, then have a BBQ Ox Sandwich at the park. He would stop to talk with anyone he passed, including this 16 y/o in 1968. I had some warped views on the war in VietNam back in those days... I shed my liberal attitude in 1973 just before rose to the presidency.
Rest in Peace, Mr. President.
If it were not for President Ford's campaign in 1976, I very well would have registered as a Democrat when I turned 18 in 1978. Preparation for portraying him in an American History class mock debate had a profound impact on the then 16 year old me. I had the honor of shaking his hand 8 years later when I was a reporter in Delaware and he was at a campaign function for Elise DuPont.
I wonder if Chaney will be giving one. He was Chief of Staff in the Ford White House.
I was angry as heck when he pardoned Nixon. In retrospect, it was the right decision. Nixon left in disgrace, and the country moved on. Unfortunately, we will never have closure on Clinton. History will know that a disgusting sexual predator roamed the halls of our White House.
Ford wasn't conservative enough for me, but he was the right leader at the time. If he could have be elected we would still have Iran as an friend and would still have the Panama Canal.
"stopping en route for a ceremony at the World War II Memorial"
I wouldn't mind doing that
Nixon's funeral was so touching. Bob Dole made me sob.
The media told us he was an uncoordinated idiot. But few uncoordinated people start on a National Championship football team.
The media tried to imply that President Ford was dumb. He graduated third in his Yale law school class. He also held a phi beta kappa key. Did you ever hear of a person that graduated third in a Yale Law School class who was dumb?
Have you ever heard of a dumb holder of a phi beta kappa key?
The media lied to us about the man who was Gerald Ford. Not once have I heard those who trashed President Ford ad dumb and a bumblin awkward fool,and are today praising him say they were totally wrong in the mid 1970s.
The media did all they could to defeat Gerald Ford and elect Jimmy Carter. We should neve forget how much damage the Brokaws, Cronkites and Rathers have done to the United States of America.
Darn, I'll miss it. I'm back here in Seattle until the 9th.
Nice to see he is getting a fitting salute. Watching the news last night, they seemed to indicate they thought a more low-key ceremony was planned.
Rest in peace, President Ford.
I remember when Ford lost. My dad said that it was a crying shame that such a good man had been so blatantly lied about.
God bless President Ford and his service to our nation.
that's fitting ..... Rummy, Chaney and Ford all served together in Congress before moving on to higher positions.
BTW, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, mware
you too ed. Looks like I am going to miss CPAC this year. I will be dropping in on Memorial day instead.
will there be a formal procession?
is so, when?
I did not remember that.
That raises him in my estimation. To decline such an honor is something extraordinary.
Thanks for posting, Kristinn..
We have lost a fine patriot and citizen, and a good, GOOD man.
I heard a 'photojournalist' on Fox today justifying his photographs of President Ford's fall while skiing, as though it was of historic significance.
The press and their photographers deliberately maligned this intelligent athlete in order to elect Jimmy Carter, and in so doing did irreparable damage to this country, and the world.
I heard Berstein of Woodward/Berstein say on Fox today that in the coming days there will be articles of Ford disagreeing with Bush on the Iraq war.....leave it to these two to turn this period of mourning into critizing the President.
We're organizing a gathering point on Saturday afternoon for the procession in D.C. Like Appy Pappy, I'm sure most of us would like to witness the ceremonial stop at the World War II Memorial. I'll post a time and location where we can gather near there as soon as details are announced.
We're organizing a gathering point on Saturday afternoon for the procession in D.C. Like Appy Pappy, I'm sure most of us would like to witness the ceremonial stop at the World War II Memorial. I'll post a time and location where we can gather near there as soon as details are announced.
Going to be hard to do that when according to Fox earlier this evening, Rummy will be giving one of the eulogies.
Oh, they'll try it alright....http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1759160/posts
I wish I could come, but I'm between night shifts on Saturday. RIP, Gerald Ford.
When Bill and Hill pass on, dos Chelsea get the white house furniture and the FBI files? Just curious...
Eagle Scouts from all over the US are supposed to gather at an appointed place in Grand Rapids for a special salute to the funeral procession.
All I saw was the street sign for the intersection and can't remember the name of the second street, but one of them was Front Street.
I was 23 before I could vote in a presidential, or any major election, and Nixon was my first, Ford my 2nd. My TX gov candidate lost, but not by much - the next time around, we did get a Pubbie in.
I'm sure I must have met Gerald Ford at some point in time, but I can't recall when or where, except I think it was in Dallas. I know exactly where I met Betty Ford - in Vail, in a Christmas shop, with only the two of us there.
Having a conversation with her, totally out of the context of former First Lady, I didn't know who she was. We both wanted the same ski chalet Christmas ornaments on display.
It wasn't until I left the store and my dad told me he couldn't come in and get me because the Secret Service wouldn't let anyone else in (just me!) that I realized who she was - and why it was so ironic that she had commented on my neck brace (from a car accident) and asked me what they had given me. I told her valium and she said to be careful with it!
God bless the Ford family and my heartfelt condolences to them. Nice people.
hope to see you in May !
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