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1252182
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12/19/74 - American Freedom Train Certification (Includes assignment sheet and letter)
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1252182
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document
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12/19/74 - American Freedom Train Certification (Includes assignment sheet and letter)
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President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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Speeches, addresses, etc.
American Revolution Bicentennial, 1776-1976
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1974-12-19
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12
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1974
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19
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1974-12-19
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12
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1974
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The original documents are located in Box 4, folder "12/19/74 - American Freedom Train
Certification (Includes assignment sheet and letter)" of the President's Speeches and
Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 4 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN def
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS FOR
AMERICAN FREEDOM TRAIN CERTIFICATION
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1974
Kandell
- 1 -
I AM VERY PLEASED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CEREMONY
OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZING THE AMERICAN FREEDOM TRAIN AS A
MAJOR NATIONAL BICENTENNIAL PROJECT.
Jeffermer High
T.C. William
- 2 -
17,000
WHEN IT BEGINS ITS SEVENTEEN THOUSAND MILE JOURNEY
THROUGH FORTY-EIGHT OF OUR STATES THIS SPRING, THE FREEDOM TRAIN
WILL SERVE AS ONE OF THE FOCAL POINTS FOR OUR BICENTENNIAL
COMMEMORATION.
- 3 -
76
IT WILL VISIT SEVENTY-SIX CITIES AND GIVE AMERICANS
A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME CHANCE TO VIEW SOME OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT
NATIONAL DOCUMENTS. AND ARTIFACTS.
- 4 -
Trangly
I ESPECIALLY URGE PARENTS AND TEACHERS TO MAKE
SURE THAT YOUR CHILDREN AND STUDENTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS
OPPORTUNITY.
THE CARGO.ON THIS TRAIN REPRESENTS MUCH
OF OUR NATION'S PAST HISTORY AND OUR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE.
- 5 -
THE EXHIBITS TOUCH VIRTUALLY EVERY PHASE OF THE
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.
THE TRAIN WILL CARRY GEORGE WASHINGTON'S
PERSONAL COPY OF THE CONSTITUTION.
IT WILL CONTAIN THE
HANDWRITTEN DRAFT OF PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S FIRST INAUGURAL SPEECH.
- 6 -
THERE WILL BE MOON ROCK SAMPLES,
THE FIRST BIBLE PRINTED
IN AMERICA,
PAUL REVERE'S SADDLEBAGS AS WELL AS
EXHIBITS REPRESENTING THE NATION'S CULTURE,
TECHNOLOGICAL
PROGRESS
PROFESSIONS AND TRADES,
SPORTS AND THE ARTS.
- 7 -
DURING THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF, 40 to 50 MILLION
AMERICANS ARE EXPECTED TO VIEW THESE EXHIBITS AS WE NEAR
OUR TWO HUNDREDTH BIRTHDAY AS A NATION.
- -8-
I HOPE EVERY AMERICAN, AS HE OR SHE CONTEMPLATES
THESE HISTORICAL REMINDERS, WILL REFLECT ON HOW FAR WE HAVE
COME IN THESE TWO HUNDRED SHORT YEARS.
AND AS WE TAKE
A LONG LOOK BACK, LET US ALSO TAKE A LONG LOOK FORWARD.
- 9 -
I
THINK THAT I WE DO, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE PROBLEMS
FACING US TODAY IN MUCH CLEARER PERSPECTIVE.
OUR PROBLEMS ARE SERIOUS ONES -- ESPECIALLY
OUR ENERGY PROBLEMS AND THOSE OF OUR ECONOMY.
- 10 -
BUT THINK OF THE PROBLEMS OUR FOREFATHERS FACED.
THINK OF THOSE THIRTEEN TINY COLONIES TAKING ON THE MIGHTIEST
EMPIRE IN THE WORLD.
AND THINK OF THEM WINNING THEIR LIBERTY,
- 11
VERY FEW PEOPLE BACK IN 1776 WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT IN
JUST TWO HUNDRED YEARS THOSE THIRTEEN COLONIES WOULD PROVIDE THE
JUMPING OFF SPOT FROM WHICH, EVENTUALLY, FIFTY UNITED STATES WOULD
SPAN A VAST CONTINENT AND BEYOND -- TAME A MIGHTY WILDERNESS --
- 12 - -
CONSTRUCT A TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ENORMOUS SCIENTIFIC
COMPLEXITY -- AND THEN SET OUT TO EXPLORE SPACE ITSELF.
BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
- 13 -
AS WE REFLECT ON THESE HISTORIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS,
LET US ALSO LOOK AHEAD TO THE FUTURE THAT WE ARE BUILDING.
LET US REAFFIRM OUR FAITH IN THE AMERICAN SPIRIT.
- 14 -
AS ONE OF THE GREAT NATIONS OF THE WORLD - --
SPIRITUALLY, MILITARILY, DIPLOMATICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY --
WE IN AMERICA HAVE THE BEST.OF MANY WORLDS.
WE HAVE
NEARLY ALL THE NATURAL RESOURCES WE NEED.
WE HAVE THE
TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES.
WE HAVE THE HUMAN RESOURCES.
- 15 - -
NOW WE NEED THE WILL TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS, THE WILL
TO WIN.
AND WIN WE WILL.
BY THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND, I SEE A PEOPLE
LIVING IN A COMMUNITY OF PEACE WITH OTHER NATIONS,
WITH A STANDARD OF LIVING STILL THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD,
- 16 -
WITH DISEASE GREATLY CONQUERED, WITH INDIVIDUAL
LIBERTIES SECURE FOR EVERYONE, WITH WIDE OPPORTUNITIES
FOR GOOD EDUCATION AND GOOD HOUSING AND WITH OUR
NATIONAL WILL AND SPIRIT STILL CLIMBING AS WE MOVE
TOWARD CELEBRATION OF OUR TRICENTENNIAL.
- 17 -
I SEE THE BICENTENNIAL OF 1976 AS A REBIRTH AS WELL AS
A BIRTHDAY -- A REDISCOVERY OF OUR STRENGTH AND OUR POTENTIAL.
IT WILL STRENGTHEN OUR RESOLVE TO FULFILL THE PROMISES OF OUR
FOREFATHERS.
IT WILL FORTIFY OUR DETERMINATION TO CONTINUE
TO BUILD A FREER, MORE JUST, MORE HUMANE SOCIETY.
- 18 - -
THIS AMERICAN FREEDOM TRAIN WILL BE A FITTING SYMBOL
FOR WHAT THE BICENTENNIAL REPRESENTS.
SINCE THE DAY THE
GOLDEN SPIKE WAS DRIVEN, THE RAILROAD HAS SYMBOLIZED OUR
UNITY AS A NATION.
- 19 - -
ON BEHALF OF ALL AMERICANS, I THANK THE AMERICAN
FREEDOM TRAIN FOUNDATION, AND THE CORPORATIONS THAT PROVIDED
GRANTS FOR THIS FREEDOM TRAIN.
- - 20 - -
I KNOW THAT YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS WILL INSPIRE OTHERS TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE BICENTENNIAL.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY A
SPECIAL THANK-YOU TO THE PEOPLE. OF PORTLAND, OREGON,
WHO PROVIDED THE IRON HORSE THAT WILL PULL THE TRAIN.
- 21 -
I LOOK FOR THE FREEDOM TRAIN TO PROVIDE A UNIFYING
SYMBOL OF THE HERITAGE THAT MADE AMERICA'S PAST GREAT AND
WILL MAKE ITS FUTURE EVEN GREATER.
END OF TEXT
PICK UP CONSTITUTION FROM YOUR CHAIR AND ASK KENDALL
TO STEP FORWARD.
PRESENT CONSTITUTION TO KENDALL.
"I TAKE GREAT PLEASURE IN PRESENTING GEORGE WASHINGTON'S
COPY OF OUR CONSTITUTION TO DON KENDALL FOR DISPLAY
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ON THE FREEDOM TRAIN."
CLEARANCE FORM FOR PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH MATERIAL
TO:
VIA:
THE ROBERT PRESIDENT HARTMANN RAZA Good
FROM:
PAUL THEIS
SUBJECT:
Draft Presidential Remarks at the
American Freedom Train Certification
Date and Place of Presidential Use: 11:00 a. m., Thursday,
December 19, Alexandria, Virginia
Speechwriter: Coyne
Edited by: Casserly/Theis
Basic research/speech material supplied by: American Freedom
Train Foundation
Cleared by (please initial):
(x) Operations (Rumsfeld) OK D Chiney
(x) Jack Marsh m
( ) Congressional (Timmons)
( ) Economic Policy Board (Seidman)
(x) Domestic Council (Cole) disab
( ) N.S. C. (Scowcroft)
( ) O.M.B. (Ash)
(X) Press (Nessen) RHN
(x) Research (Durfee) LD
( ) Anne Armstrong (Lukstat)
m.3
AMERICANA REVOLUTION WOENTENNIAL
AMERICAN REVOLUTION BICENTENNIAL ADMINISTRATION
736 JACKSON PLACE, N.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20276
1776-1976
(202) 32-1776
December 19, 1974
Dear Don:
Enclosed are cards used by the President at
his speech this morning at the Freedom Train. As an
old advance man, I know the importance of having these
returned for the White House archives.
I appreciate very much the support you're
giving to the Bicentennial, particularly with today's
ceremony. Progress is being made, slowly but surely,
and I am confident the overall Bicentennial commemora-
tion will befit the greatness and dignity of our Nation.
In the Spirit of 176,
70 hur
John W. Warner
Administrator
The Honorable
Donald Rumsfeld
The White House
Enclosures