The 38th president of the United States, Gerald R. Ford, died yesterday at the age of 93. He  was thrust into the presidency after the Watergate scandal but lost his own election bid after pardoning Richard M. Nixon.

Ah. such memories of that time. That’s my era. I came of age during Watergate. Who can forget the day Nixon resigned. Who can forget, "I am not a crook."

Who can forget the day Ford was sworn in (it was Aug.
9, 1974). I was just back from an AYH bicycle trip. And then his pardon of Nixon. How unpopular that was. How angry we all were.

He ended the war in Viet Nam and is credited for being a "healing" influence after a tumultuous breach of civic  trust during the Watergate years. He is rarely remembered for anything he actually did.

He was defeated by Jimmy Carter, the first presidential candidate I ever voted for, in the 1976 election.

Who can forget Chevy Chase’s pratfalls as Ford on Saturday Night Live? Chase channeled the clumsy Ford in an unforgettable way. I think Ford even appeared on SNL once back then.

RIP Gerald Ford. We love your wife for her honesty and spirit. She came clean on the fact that she was heavily addicted to alcohol and drugs and paved the way for so many to seek help.