"The next time I come to one of these things I'm coming earlier and bringing a chair."
That was the comment we heard many times from Otoe county and other Republicans who waited three or more hours last week for President Ford at the Lincoln Air Park.
Nebraska Republicans got what they wanted — a big turnout and an applauding audience as the President stepped from his jet, shook hands with literally hundreds of people and stepped up on the red, white and blue decorated stage to address the thousands.
Despite background noise from a chant of demonstrators, the whole Republican show was a booming success for Republicans.
State GOP Chairman Bill Barrett, Lexington, a frequent visitor in Nebraska City, served as master of ceremonies introducing incumbents and candidates.
The only off-beat sounds we heard came when Mr. Barrett suggested that the hundreds crowded against the roped off areas next to the stage move to make room for hundreds who were still waiting to get into the area.
From where we were situated, no one moved. In fact we couldn't have moved if we had wanted to . . . someone was standing on our feet.
We don't know whether it was done on purpose, but the Pride of the Pioneers band was the last to arrive at the north end of the stage and you-know-who got to shake the hand of the President — many, many Nebraska City bandsmen.
Band Director Gary DeBolt who apparently likes to get on top of things, mounted a barrel used as a base for tying off rope for the area, and directed the Nebraska City bandsmen.
Mr. Barrett was quick to introduce the Nebraska City bandsmen and announced the numbers that they played. It seemed that the kids had a great time.
Mrs. Bob Dunn, Lincoln, a former Burr resident, was standing X number of shoulders behind us and asked if there was any room in front of us for children. We sure would have liked to accommodate her and the children who accompanied her, but at the moment a young woman had an elbow in our ribs, the teenager standing behind us said she was an asthmatic and thought she was going to faint and a little dark-haired boy banged into my elbow every time I focused the camera. You camera people know what that does to the eyeball.
F. L. Duffey and I stood next to each other with cameras thinking that we had a pretty good position, but then it happened. The President arrived and along with stretched necks came the heave-ho of the crowds. The next thing I knew a youngster had squeezed between us, a woman pushed two other children behind that boy and I lost track of the count of other youths who stepped on my toes just to get an inch or two closer.
The President's speech was interesting, the organization by Mr. Barrett and the GOP Corps was smooth and it was a bright and sunny day.
The big fun, however, came with the experience of the crowd. You'd never believe it.
A couple standing next to us said this was the second time they had attended such a reception. Their son was exhausted and was sitting on the ground about half asleep. With a little help, we found he was a "pro." The moment the President stepped down from the stage to greet the people along the roped off areas, the little fella was literally handed to the woman in front and she shoved him up on the front row. He had a smile a mile wide.
The demonstrators and their drums were irritating after a while, but the President ignored them and for that matter so did everyone else. The bandsmen (whoops . . . girls also) put on their show and they said they never heard the beat of the drums from the demonstrators.
Mrs. Carl Zimmerman and Mrs. Arthur Sackles were seated in front of us on a blanket and we stood behind them as the crowd shoved us forward. Several shoulders behind us someone who could only see an opening between people and not the women on the ground, called to us wondering if we could move one way or the other to make room.
I wasn't sure how to answer. I looked at Mrs. Zimmerman and thought: "Lady with a baby?"
Mrs. Zimmerman probably would have gotten a bang out of that but I'm not sure what her husband, Carl, would have said . . . he's smiling at 80-plus years young . . .
I was trying to be polite to the people standing around and at the same time trying to avoid falling over Mrs. Zimmerman after being shoved several times.
Then, a friend next to me said: "Just tell them it's a little old lady."
The people standing around me sent the message back through the crowd and for a few seconds the heave-ho slacked off.
NU Athletic Director Bob Devaney got one of the warmest welcomes when he was introduced. And in true Devaney style, he opened up with catchy remarks about plans to write some letters on school stationery but his secretary was busy and he never got the job done. The crowd liked it.
Mr. Duffey found himself surrounded by teen-age girls from David City Aquinas and some little boys. His grandfather's bragging permit didn't get him a front row location, but a cute little teen-ager named Jody made sure no one blocked his view when he wanted to take some pictures.
They became pretty well acquainted in the long wait and the teen-ager offered her shoulder as a crutch while he stood first on one foot and then the other to limber up.
Later as our party entered a cafe, the mother of the teen-ager called out to her daughter in the next booth.
"Look, Jody, there's your friend." They had a visit, exchanged greetings and names and laughed about the crowd jamming.
If there is an end to this story it has to come with a personal touch.
Never before in the almost 24 years with Millie have I ever found her so broad-minded. I rubbed and was rubbed by hips, elbows, and you-know-what with more women of several age brackets in broad daylight and the Queen Bee never snapped at me once.
She made only one remark: "and you had to wear those white shoes."