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Anyone out there remember when President Lyndon Johnson visited Concord for the grand opening of BART?
Pictured above is a photo of the President’s helicopter landing at the Concord Naval Weapons Station on June 19, 1964.
And below, President Johnson is pictured at BART.
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Top Photo Credit: By Bill Larkins [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
19 comments
The Moon Man.
LBJ was here for the groundbreaking ceremony in 1964:
BART construction officially began on June 19, 1964 with President Lyndon Johnson presiding over the ground-breaking ceremonies at the 4.4-mile (7.1 km) test track between Concord and Walnut Creek in Contra Costa County.
An Army Helicopter? Guess Marine One didn’t travel with the President then.
Interesting the things that spark my interest.
A little research showed that this duty was shared with the ARMY until 1976 when is became just the MARINES.
ps: If you know a MARINE (once a MARINE always a MARINE) wish them a Happy Birthday !
Army One is the callsign of any United States Army aircraft carrying the President of the United States. From 1957 until 1976, this was usually an Army helicopter transporting the President although duty was shared by the USMC. Afterwards, the Marine Corps was given the sole responsibility of transporting the President by helicopter.
I have some of Radar’s pictures of the grand opening: https://cowellian.wordpress.com/concord/businesses/bart/
This is not at the Concord Naval Weapons Station. It is at what used to be an onion field where the Concord BART yard is now located.
I am aware of that because one of my previous scoutmasters from my Boy Scout troop grew up near there, and remembers very well when LBJ’s helicopeter landed there, as the purpose of his visit was to assist with the ground breaking ceremony of the BART system!!
I was there and remember that the helicopter caused so much turbulence that the folding chairs flew into people.
I have read this too – in John Dolan’s masterpiece, “Pleasant Hell”.
Yes, I remember that the helicopter’s wake blew a chair into my elderly neighbor and broke her leg. She ended up suing and received $5,000 back then. Funny how this brought back that memory right away to me. I remember also the national news was filming on our street, where she lived, showing all the different homes at the time. Wow… What a memory you just brought back to me.
No president in recent memory but we often have presidential candidates looking to do private fundraisers in Alamo (California republican stronghold) who fly into Concord Airport on private jets. The last in memory recently was Rick Santorum who’s jet flew very low and very loudly
President Ford visited Walnut Creek in 1976. He did a rally in downtown, a reception in Rossmoor, and then another reception at the Walnut Creek Elks Club.
People have forgotten that California used to lean Republican with Walnut Creek leaning more so.
I don’t have pictures of Ford’s visit though. He flew into San Jose and then drove to/from Walnut Creek.
I remember waiting and waiting for what seemed like forever in my cub scout uniform. In my mind he was at least two hours late.
I remember it was in the onion field approximately where Costco is now. I took my Grandmother who was born & raised in Concord & very much a Democrat. I also remember flying chairs and dirt when the VP helicopter started its engine. One poor lady, not far from us, was hit by one of the flying chairs.
Yes, that was a lady who lived on our street as I posted above. It was Altura drive.
This photo appears to be east of the tracks. I recognize the gap in Shell Ridge, and there is some kind of rail cars present. Was that trailer park near the BART yard there in 1964? Or could that be the Wallowood Line that paralleled Oak Grove Road from the old OA&E/Sacramento Northern? I would guess that it could not be the weapons station as that land is part of the Mt. Diablo Creek drainage, and no where near BART at that time. Where ever it is, the land is too expensive to leave unused today. Thank you!
As someone who grew up in Clayton starting in 1992 I have heard of almond orchards and fruit orchards I have never heard of onion fields this is new to me. Thanks for the history lesson about Concord
I will be in my room, making no noise, and pretending I don’t exist.
Well. This brings back memories. I was there and while I forget what President Johnson said, big surprise there, I do recall the swirling winds caused by the helicopter and aluminum lawn chairs flying all over the place. The intersection of Monument Blvd and Oak Grove used to be known as the Four Corners. I thought the ground breaking was closer to Monument Blvd and the east side of Oak Grove. And I don’t remember it being an onion field, but at tht time I could not stand onions!
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