I notice that people everywhere, including Fort Wayne, are sharing their stories of having met or in some other way been touched by President Ford. I am sorry to report that I don't have such a story.
I was, however, at the Michigan City rally for Ronald Reagan, the time he was seeking the presidency and didn't get it. I'll always remember it because Barbara, one of my newspaper co-workers, thought it would be the highlight of her life. She had had a lifetime crush on Jimmy Stewart, who was accompanying Reagan. But when we got to the rally, and she saw Stewart in person, she realized that he had a HAIR on the outside of his NOSE. I have not seen, before or since, anyone so devastated.
And James Brown and I were in Vietnam at the same time, which is probably the only thing that saved the tour for me. I was temporarily out of country when Bob Hope did his thing. Can you imagine -- going to Vietnam and missing Bob Hope? James Brown was even funny, though, God knows, he didn't have to be.
I also got a post card once from Birch Bayh, father of Evan, after I interviewed him in Wabash and wrote nice things about him. But he isn't dead yet, so this probably isn't the time to make a big deal about it.
