Gerald R. Ford

December 26, 2006

***OFFICIAL SCHEDULE*** GERALD R. FORD STATE FUNERAL 38th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES FORT LESLEY J. MCNAIR, D.C. - The family of President Gerald R. Ford, 38th President of the United States, has announced the official schedule of President Fords state funeral and the related services and ceremonies. The funeral and other services will occur in three stages. Stage One will occur in Palm Desert, Calif., Stage Two will occur in Washington, D.C. and Stage Three will occur in Grand Rapids, Mich. STAGE ONE " California Portion of the State Funeral President Fords remains will be received with military ceremony at St. Margarets Episcopal Church, Palm Desert, Calif., approximately 12:20 p.m. PST, Friday, Dec. 29. After the arrival ceremony and a private family prayer service and visitation, the remains will lie in repose at St. Margarets Episcopal Church from 4 p.m. PST, Friday, Dec. 29, until approximately 8:00 a.m. PST, Saturday, Dec. 30. A Guard of Honor will attend the remains while in repose. The public is invited to attend this repose at St. Margarets Episcopal Church. The remains of President Ford will depart the church with ceremony at approximately 9:45 a.m. PST, Saturday, Dec. 30, and be transported to Palm Springs Regional Airport. The public is invited to pay their respects along the motorcade route. The remains will depart the airport with ceremony at approximately 10:15 a.m. PST and be flown to Andrews Air Force Base, Md. This will conclude the ceremonies in California. STAGE TWO " Washington Portion of the State Funeral 1. President Fords remains will arrive with ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Saturday, Dec. 30, at approximately 5:20 p.m. EST. 2. En route to the U.S. Capitol, the motorcade will travel through Alexandria, Va., in remembrance of President Fords long residence in that city as a Congressman and as Vice President of the United States. 3. The motorcade will pause at the World War II Memorial located on the National Mall at 17th Street, between Constitution and Independence Avenues at approximately 6:00 p.m. EST, Saturday, Dec. 30. World War II and other veterans, as well as the public, are invited to attend this tribute. 4. The motorcade will then proceed to the U.S. Capitol and be received with ceremony at approximately 6:30 p.m. EST, at the East Steps to the U.S. House of Representatives. President Fords casket will proceed up the East House Steps on the East Capitol Plaza in honor of his 24 years as a U.S. Congressman. His remains will be met by a group of his former House colleagues. His casket will lie in repose at the open House doors honoring his time in Congress. The casket will then be carried through Statuary Hall. His remains will then move to the Rotunda for the Lying in State portion of the state funeral. President Fords remains will lie in state with a Guard of Honor until 9:15 a.m. EST, Tuesday, Jan. 2. Public viewing will be allowed during this time. 5. At approximately 9:30 a.m. EST, Tuesday, Jan. 2, the remains will depart the Rotunda and rest at the closed Senate doors in honor of his service as the Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate. The motorcade will then proceed to the Washington National Cathedral, passing the White House en route. 6. At approximately 10 a.m. EST, President Fords remains will be received with ceremony at the Washington National Cathedral. A national funeral service will then be conducted at approximately 10:30 a.m. EST. 7. Following the service, the remains will depart with ceremony from Washington National Cathedral at approximately 11:30 a.m. EST. A motorcade will transport the casket from the cathedral to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., for a departure ceremony at approximately 12:15 p.m. EST. This concludes ceremonies in Washington, D.C. STAGE THREE " Michigan Portion of the State Funeral President Fords remains will arrive from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and be received with ceremony at Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Grand Rapids, Mich., at approximately 2:15 p.m. EST, Tuesday, Jan 2. His casket will then be moved by motorcade to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Grand Rapids, Mich., for a brief private service. During the service, wreaths will be placed at the casket by the presidents of Yale University and the University of Michigan in honor of President Fords law degree and undergraduate degree, from those institutions respectively. Following the service, President Fords remains will lie in repose from 5 p.m. EST, Tuesday, Jan. 2 until 11 a.m. EST, Jan. 3. The public is invited to pay their respects at the museum during repose. President Fords remains will depart the museum with ceremony at approximately 1 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Jan. 3, and proceed to Grace Episcopal Church, Grand Rapids, Mich., for a private funeral service for invited guests only. President Fords remains will be received at the church with ceremony at approximately 1:30 p.m. EST. Following the service, the remains will depart the church with ceremony at approximately 3 p.m. EST and proceed to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum for a private interment service. The casket will arrive with ceremony at the museum for a private interment service at approximately 3:30 p.m. EST. The private interment service will be conducted immediately following the arrival ceremony. This will conclude the funeral schedule for President Gerald R. Ford. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Public participation varies at each location. Separate releases will be issued with further instructions on motorcade routes and hours of repose at ceremony sites. For more information and for an interactive FAQ resource, we encourage your viewers/readers to visit the Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region Web site at www.jfhqncr.northcom.mil or the Gerald R. Ford Memorial website at: www.GeraldFordMemorial.com. -30-