I do not remember the exact year (mid 70's) but we got word that President Nixon was going to stop at Loring on his way back from China. Air Force One was to be refueled and he would address the nation on television on the success of the China trip. We had seven days to prepare.
I learned;
1. You can paint the exterior of almost every building on base in that period of time if you bring in people TDY to help.
2. You can also re-stripe every road on base.
3. C-123 Ranch Hand spray planes do an effective job of removing all bugs from the base for about a week.
4. You can paint the chain link fence along the flight line if you have another crew pull out all the grass that has paint splatters on it. You can also mow all the grass on base at least twice.
5. The Arch hangar does not have the acoustics for making speeches. (We tried to tell them, but we were only firemen.)
6. The President walked off the plane into the other hangar(DC hangar?), made his speech, and got back on the plane. He never saw any other part of the base except from the air.
7. The Vice President came up for the speech along with various Senators, House Members, and other VIPs. Kept Transient alert busy. The governor flew in and could'nt get anyone to park his plane.
8. Those of us who got to stay at the crash station and watch on TV had a better time than those who went to the hangar.
All in all an educational experience.
Ray Reynolds
MSgt, USAF (Ret)
Nixon's visit was at the very end of July '74. It was August 8, 1974 when he announced, "I shall resign the presidency, effective at noon tomorrow." I really think his visit to Loring was his last public appearance as pres., but I'm not sure about that.
I will always remember that evening as the most beautiful summer evening in all my years in the County. Not only was the weather perfect, the base all scrubbed, cleaned, mowed, and painted, but also best of all there was NO DAMNED BUGS whatsoever! The night before he arrived, two C-123K (?) crop dusters flew back and forth for about two hours. They must have sprayed a ten-mile square. I have no clue what they were spraying, but it sure must have been some good sh-t! It was two weeks before we saw the first bug reappear on the base. It was sweet! Wasn't the prep for that visit incredible?
John Bradley Jr
OK this may be a little off the wall but it says alot.
Richard Millhouse Nixon was the first US president whose name contains all the letters from the word "criminal." The second? William Jefferson Clinton.
