"We Were Always There..."

Air Force One in flight over Mount Rushmore

This marks the first of a new series of posts that will illustrate that "we" are and have been everywhere... GLBT people are found in every walk of life, we've excelled in careers in every field, and we've played important roles in every endeavor of mankind.

About this photo:

Amazing but true, I've been a guest on board Air Force One... Once upon a time, a long time ago, I was a very conservative (and very closeted), dyed-in-the-wool Republican.  And in those confused days of my young life, I was a very unique member (and even State Party Officer) of the mostly white, mostly 1% Republican party.  As a result, the party loved to trot out the young black business man that was me at the time to "prove" how representative and diverse (smile) the Republicans were.  And so, on a Presidential visit to Detroit, I was invited to be one of the President's official greeters.  I'd gotten the call early that morning asking me if I'd welcome the President to Detroit on the tarmac when his plane landed.

I remember arriving at Selfridge ANGB in Mount Clemens (a multi-service military base about 30 miles east of Detroit) and getting the full VIP treatment from the moment I arrived at the gate.  The funny thing to me at the time was that I had just been there over the weekend...  I was in the reserves at that time and I drilled at that base.  Back then, I was a lowly E-4 Navy Reserve Petty Officer, just another cog in the machine, but that morning, I had Army and Air Force Generals treating me like a king as they offered me drinks in the Officer's Club.

About a half hour before the President's arrival, an Air Force Two Star General, walked me out to the tarmac to a set of freshly chalked temporary taxi lane markings.  There was a yellow circle along the side of the lane and the general placed me inside the circle and told me to be sure not to step outside the circle, "We wouldn't want you to get sucked into an engine..." he chuckled.  He then left me there.

As I stood there, watching in the distance, there was lots of action going on all around me.  A stair truck pulled up nearby and I could see the Presidential motorcade forming up with the limo and all the black Chevy Suburbans that the Secret Service uses.  On the other side of the tarmac there was a military contingent with representation from all 5 armed services (including the Coast Guard).  And near the hangers the press corp was busy preparing for their live reports on the President's arrival.

It was a pretty warm day and I remember feeling nervous.  I could feel beads of sweat forming in my palms and on my forehead when I noticed the honor guard and the band come to attention, I knew the President's plane had to be near.  Just a few moments later, Air Force One made a low level pass of the field (a photo op for the press) and then climbed and circled to line up on the runway.  I must say, Air Force One is as majestic and impressive in real life as it is in it's portrayals in the movies. 

Air Force One is a custom built version the Boeing 747, at the time, the largest and most advanced passenger jet in the world... the epitome of American technological prowess and know-how, and a symbol of American power and might recognized around the world.  As I stood in my circle, craning my neck to watch the landing I was powerfully impressed and almost moved to tears as I thought about the symbolism of what was to soon be standing before me.  As I watched the plane moving at a quick pace down the runway and then turn towards me, I felt my heart beating faster and faster.  Then I realized why I'd been told to stay in my circle.

I was quite taken aback as the elegant, but massive piece of engineering glided to a halt less than 10 yards away from where I was standing in my circle.  I could feel the suction and the heat from the two giant engines on the wing to my side and I realized that the general hadn't been joking about me not moving from my circle.  As the engines shut down and spun to a halt, a highly choreographed scene erupted in front of me in which I was the only thing not in motion... First the stair truck came forward and when it had gently nuzzled the side of the plane, the bottom step was just 3 feet away from me and my circle.  Then, the honor guard and band marched forward and the door of the plane opened as they struck up "Hail to the Chief."  The motorcycles revved their engines and the limo and the armada of other vehicles that would accompany the President slowly paced towards the plane.

As I looked up at the doorway, a smiling air steward stepped back into the plane and then with a wave, the leader of the free world, the President of the United States stepped out onto the platform and strode down the stairs and was standing in front of me with a big silly grin on his face (he was probably thinking, I can't believe they found one... a black guy to welcome me to Detroit).

As I extended my hand and he shook it, as I looked up at the President I realized he was a lot taller in person than he looked on TV.  I couldn't remember anything I'd planned to say, but I did get out "Welcome to Detroit, Mr. President... We're glad you're here."  He said, "Thanks, Christopher... How's you're campaign going?" (I was running on the Republican ticket for State Representative against the mother of Kwame Kilpatrick.. She was later elected to Congress and her son would become Mayor of Detroit.) I replied that it was going well, and he said, "Best of luck to both of us in November" and he turned to the two-star General who was now standing behind him and said, "General, give this fine young man the VIP tour of Air Force One." With that, the President strode off to his limo flanked by an entourage of Secret Service agents.  And just a moment later, they were on there way, lights and sirens headed into Detroit.

The two-star returned to where I was still standing in my circle and said, "You're in for a rare treat... we almost never have non-passengers on board... Are you ready?"  I followed the General up the stairs and through the door of "The Flying White House."  As we toured the plane and he explained it significance and the protocols, it occurred to me that nobody was going to believe that I had just met and greeted the President and had been on Air Force One.  So as we walked through the plane, whenever I thought no one was looking, I was stuffing my pockets with napkins, playing cards, and other little bits of flotsam and jetsam as all of it was emblazoned with the Presidential Seal and the words "Aboard the Presidential Aircraft."  I was finally noticed by the General and he said, "Oh don't worry, we're going to give you a souvenir package."  And with a smile, I emptied my pockets and we continued. 

I asked all sorts of questions and the General was very accommodating of all my requests... When we were in the conference room, I asked to see how it converted to an operating suite and he obliged by opening the  doors at the end of the room and showing me the lights and medical cabinets and equipment.  When we got to the President's suite, I was perhaps taking advantage of the situation, when I put on the President's sweater and asked, "How do I look?" 

The General showed me the two galleys and even the flight deck and the communications hub, but when I asked to go below decks, he said he couldn't take me down there for security reasons, eluding to security personnel being on board the plane.  When I'd had my fill, he called a pretty young air steward forward who had a little gift bag with some napkins, a cup and a deck of playing cards in it... Even the little bag had the Presidential Seal on it.  I happily galloped down the stairs with my souvenirs and my memories of that day.

When I got home that evening, my mother and younger sister were sitting at the table far more excited than I had been saying they'd seen me on live TV meeting the President.  And that was one of my many "Forrest Gump" moments in this life.

"Fear Eats the Soul"