Gerald R. Ford Burial Services in Grand Rapids

[snoogit]

Thats probably as close as we are going to get to get a feel for what the real thing will look like, since I heard no cameras will be allowed during the burial (IIRC)

[Allison Slater]

I'll be watching whatever goes on Wednesday.

[Rizzo]

Thats probably as close as we are going to get to get a feel for what the real thing will look like, since I heard no cameras will be allowed during the burial (IIRC)

[MAU]

I wonder if i'll be able to get to the Y over the next couple of days?

[Budgie Frisket]

I left home at 6:30 a.m. today to beat the crowd, and traffic was very light.

I imagine that has changed drastically in the last couple of hours.

[GR_Urbanist]

Add to that the burial will not be open to the public.

[Veloise]

Add to that the burial will not be open to the public.

[Veloise]

I left home at 6:30 a.m. today to beat the crowd, and traffic was very light.

I imagine that has changed drastically in the last couple of hours.

[Veloise]

[listening to the DC funeral...]

I am really feeling for the family. Can you imagine the logistics? Your relative is 93 and starts experiencing multiple hospitalizations starting in January. Get the black suit ready. Oh wait, he's done better. In July he goes back in; get the summer-weight black suit ready.

They've had multiple services in CA, DC, and here (coming soon). Most of the funerals I've attended have been to serve as closure, sometimes to bring home the reality (and sometimes to celebrate the end of a long journey through an endless dark tunnel). Those poor folks have had to sit through eulogy after eulogy, ceremony after ceremony. Small wonder his kids hit the visitors' line (what else is there to do in DC when the museums are closed). And which black suit do I wear today?

Perhaps the Nixon family had the right idea.

[Rizzo]

Unless they are going to have a huge tent over them, they are going to have a hard time keeping the public from seeing, and taking photos. You have a view of the museum for almost every tall building and hill, east of the river. That's not even counting Bridgewater Place!

[destijl]

How nice that the grass is still green.

[GRDadof3]

How nice that the grass is still green.

[nonnekes]

Just saw the planes fly over, with one doing the quick vertical pull (missing man formation?)

[NorthEnder]

Alert! If you're downtown right now, the 21 planes will make a practice run over downtown in 5 minutes!

[MAU]

Holy crap my building shook. Car alarms were going off when they did the missing man.

[john_denver]

Holy crap my building shook. Car alarms were going off when they did the missing man.

[GRDadof3]

I could hear them where I am right now out on the NE side. Yowzers!

The real flyover will be tomorrow during the internment, around 3 - 3:30.

[tamias6]

Alert! If you're downtown right now, the 21 planes will make a practice run over downtown in 5 minutes!

[Veloise]

Near 28th Street and I-96: several hundred people standing with flags, in silence. Some gathered as early as 1:45 pm.

A spectator near me reported that the arrival in GR was delayed because they flew him over Michigan Stadium. And...the Michigan Marching Band's charter flight from Pasadena made a detour here, and they played the alma mater at the airport.

[endofnow]

I'm from GR (Cherry Hill) but currently a Peace Corps volunteer in Moldova (Eastern Europe.)

Reading all the accounts of the prep for the funeral is really making me want to be home (more so than missing Christmas)

I haven't caught any coverage about GR on CNN international, Euro News, or the BBC although I have had a couple people tell me they heard he was being buried in GR and confirming that I'm from there. I just looking it up, I lived 700 yards from his house. The world is small.

Please keep the photos coming.

From Moldova,

Ryan

[fo0hzy]

If you head over to Channel 8's website, they are streaming it live

http://www.woodtv.com/

[Veloise]

If you head over to Channel 8's website, they are streaming it live

http://www.woodtv.com/

[Timize]

Anyone been watching News 8's coverage of the homecoming? The News 8 logo has an ugly black line in the middle covering up "news" and "hour." It's annoying the heck out of me.

[Greedo]

President Ford arrived to his museum a little after 4:00 PM today. I estimate there were between 30-50K people downtown to welcome him home.

Eagle Scouts from the Gerald R. Ford Council lined the entrance to the museum and saluted as his hearse drove past.

It was beautiful.

[GRDadof3]

Wow, just wow.. 2.5 hours before the motorcade rolled in. It was like a parade atmosphere. BTW: We were unable to join the other veterans on the South side of the bridge because it was too crowded.

Until the security chopper came in...then the whole crowd went silent