[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 1 (Monday, January 8, 2007)]
[Pages 1-2]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

December 30, 2006

    Good morning. This week, as Americans prepare to welcome a new year, 
we do so with heavy hearts and fond memories of our 38th President, 
Gerald R. Ford. We mourn the passing of a courageous leader, a true 
gentleman, and a loving father and husband. On behalf of all Americans, 
Laura and I send our prayers and condolences to Mrs. Ford and the entire 
Ford family.
    Gerald Ford was a great man who devoted the best years of his long 
life to public service. He fought for his country during World War II. 
After returning home, he won the first of 13 elections to the United 
States Congress. The people of Michigan admired his dedication and 
decency, and so did his fellow

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Members of Congress. Gerald Ford rose to become a leader of his party, 
and he earned the respect and good will of all who had the privilege of 
knowing him.
    Gerald Ford always believed in the importance of answering the call 
to duty, and he was there for the Nation when we needed him most. In 
December 1973, he accepted the responsibilities of the Vice Presidency. 
And the following August, he became President of the United States 
without ever seeking the office. Providence gave us Gerald Ford's steady 
hand and calm leadership during a time of great division and turmoil. He 
guided America through a crisis of confidence and helped our Nation mend 
its wounds by restoring faith in our system of government.
    In his 2\1/2\ years as President, Gerald Ford distinguished himself 
as a man of integrity and selfless dedication. He always put the needs 
of his country before his own and did what he thought was right, even 
when those decisions were unpopular. Only years later would Americans 
come to fully appreciate the foresight and wisdom of this good man.
    In recent years, Americans have honored Gerald Ford with the 
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and the 
John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
    Through it all, Gerald Ford stayed true to the values that first led 
him to a life of public service, and he helped share that spirit with a 
future generation of leaders. He served as a mentor for Vice President 
Dick Cheney, former Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld, former Chairman 
of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan, and many others. He brought out 
the best in those around him and in our whole Nation.
    To the end, Gerald Ford never lost the spirit that Americans grew to 
admire so much. This spring, I visited President and Mrs. Ford at their 
home in Rancho Mirage, California. At age 92 and battling health 
problems, he was still telling jokes and displaying the optimism that 
helped guide our Nation through some of its darkest hours.
    Now America will stand with the members of the Ford family in the 
difficult hours and days ahead. Across the country, there has been an 
outpouring of grief and affection for President Ford. I've ordered flags 
to fly at halfstaff for 30 days in his honor. This weekend, his body 
will lie in state at the United States Capitol. And on Tuesday, Laura 
and I will join former Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Carter at a funeral 
service at the National Cathedral as part of a National Day of Mourning.
    Gerald Ford's life spanned nine decades and took him from the 
football fields of his boyhood in Michigan to the halls of power in 
Washington, DC. At every stage of his journey, he displayed a decency, 
patriotism, and courage that Americans will always admire. As we say 
goodbye to the year 2006, we bid farewell to one of the finest public 
servants America has ever known. We give thanks for the gift of his 
remarkable life, for the caring man who touched so many lives, and the 
wise President who helped heal our Nation.
    May God bless Gerald R. Ford. Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 8:20 a.m. on December 29 at the Bush 
Ranch in Crawford, TX, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on December 30. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
December 29 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The 
Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language 
transcript of this address.