it 1 iHEMICHIGAN DAILY SatA

urdoy, April 13, 1974

President

tours

'the

Story by
Gordon Atcheson and Cheryl Pilate
It was the biggest thing to hit The
Thumb since a Sandusky woman gave
birth to legendary gunslinger Butch Cas-
sidy, and that was in the last century.
President Richard Nixon touched down at
Saginaw's Tri-City Airport,,shook hands
with the mayor and the governor, gave a
speech, and helicoptered to Bad Axe for
a three-hour motorcade through 11 little
towns. The following are Daily reporters'
impressions of the visiting President and
his hosts.
THE THUMB.
FERVENTLY chanting "We love Nixon-
Nixon is our lover," a herd of elderly
widows scramble for a prominent position
among the cheering throngs of Nixon sup-
porters at Saginaw's Tri-City airport.
Arms outstretched, they lean over the
barricade in hopes of touching the beam-
ing chief executive.
Ir a fit of exuberance, a stout elderly
lady grabs the President and ecstatically
busses him on both cheeks while gushing
forth a barrage of admiration. Nixon is a
little uneasy, but only for a second. Re-
velling in the one-to-one diplomacy, he
appears more than willing when another
elderly woman gives him a bear hug and
a kiss on the cheek.
* * *
POM-POM girls clad in purple-sequined
jumpsuits begin cheering. The Bad
Axe high school band strikes up a quick-
paced marching tune, as the majorettes
wave the stars and stripes and "God Loves
Nixon" banners. The black bullet-proof
presidential limousine rolls slowly to a
halt. The man of the hour briskly steps
into a phalanx of grim-faced Secret Serv-
ice agents, smiles and waves to the ador-
ing crowd.
The mass of faces and outstretched
hands press closer. The agents - wearing
sunglasses or rigor-mortis faces scan the
human wall for a sudden motion, a pecu-
liar expression, or any other hint of a
threat.
* * *
4S THE PRESIDENT addresses a crowd
of 5,000 from a make-shift podium in
the middle of Sandusky's main street, a
group of Viet Nam veterans waving hand-
Photography
by Ken Fink

Thurb'
lettered "Impeach Nixon" signs listen to
a speech praising the virtues of "a genera-
tion of peace".
A LTHOUGH most of the local high school
students proudly wave "God Loves
Nixon" signs and try to outdo each other
in a show of patriotism, there is a small,
but determined rebel group in a Saginaw
high school band that threatened to play
"Hey, Big Spender," as the President dis-
embarked from Air Force One. But the
plan never materialized.
"I'm mighty proud to be the first presi-
dent to travel through the "Thumb" Nix-
on tells people at the last stop on his mo-
tor tour. "This is a warm friendship I
have found."
Moments later, the President helicop-
ters back to Tri-City airport, shakes a few
more hands, and boards Air Force One
for the flight back to Washington.

Sandusky: A kid s welcome

The President speaks

Farmers' protest: They never had it so bad

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