Nicholas Katzenbach Will Not Be Down For Breakfast

[hobie16]

Aide to Kennedy, Johnson, is dead at 90.

Kicked George Wallace's ass at the University of Alabama.

[Main Streeter]

Read his interesting history on my news feed after I signed on. He played some integral roles I hadn't read of prior to his passing. He was the point man when James Meredith was enrolled in University of Mississippi. I actually never knew Gov. George Wllace's "Stand in the schoolhouse door' had been pre arranged. Interesting bio sketch.

[hobie16]

Political theater. ;)

[Big Wallaby]

As an aide to Kennedy... Awesome. Johnson... I feel sorry for him.

If you've ever toured the 707 former Air Force One in Seattle, you can see the seat that Johnson had put in behind the desk. It was designed so that he could raise it to make sure he always looked slightly down on whoever was sitting across from them.

Talk about a big head.

Now, for your reference, there were two planes that could carry the Air Force One callsign: one of them which carried Kennedy back to Washington, and this one aboard which Johnson was sworn in, both at the same time... in a horrible moment in American history, they inadvertently created a cool moment where the Air Force One callsign was switched between two planes in flight. I hope to never see this in my lifetime.

[BRWombat]

...

Now, for your reference, there were two planes that could carry the Air Force One callsign: one of them which carried Kennedy back to Washington, and this one aboard which Johnson was sworn in, both at the same time... in a horrible moment in American history, they inadvertently created a cool moment where the Air Force One callsign was switched between two planes in flight. I hope to never see this in my lifetime.

Right. The planes used as Air Force One are designated as "SAM" (Special Air Mission) plus a unique number. "Air Force One" is used only when the President is actually on board, and there are two identical planes, so the switch happens relatively often -- just not often in circumstances like this, thankfully.

Something similar to the Kennedy/Johnson switch also happened when Nixon resigned. When Nixon left office, he headed back to California on Air Force One -- but once Ford was sworn in as President, the call sign was changed back to SAM 27000 while they were in the air. Also not a situation we'd like to see again.