Missions after replacement VC-137C SAM 26000

the cockpit of aircraft

on january 22, 1973, lyndon b. johnson died. 2 days later, sam 26000 brought former president s body texas washington, d.c. state funeral following day. after funeral, nixon himself presided over, aircraft returned body texas burial, landing @ bergstrom air force base in austin, airfield johnson flew , out of when president. former president interred @ ranch, retired brigadier general james u. cross, usaf, pilot of sam 26000 during part of johnson presidency, presented flag lady bird johnson @ request. escorted during state funeral, again, @ request, saying did not know army major general james adamson, commanding general of military district of washington (mdw). of resulted mrs. johnson agreeing public honors in washington, though husband died in texas, because felt many others around world wanted join in—40,000 people paid respects when former president lay in state, though mood during state funeral 1 of intense recrimination because wounds of vietnam war still raw. because of sam 26000, final services honoring lbj on january 25 completed in 1 day, despite taking place in different parts of country.

on october 6, 1981, egyptian president anwar sadat assassinated. because of security concerns, then-president ronald reagan did not attend funeral. instead, sent secretary of state alexander haig , living former presidents—nixon, ford, , carter—to funeral, former secretary of state henry kissinger. of them flew aboard sam 26000 when traveling funeral.

the last time sam 26000 carried serving president in january 1998 when president bill clinton s air force one, sam 27000, got stuck in mud in champaign, illinois @ university of illinois willard airport. sam 26000 sitting @ grissom air reserve base in peru, indiana, serve backup air force one. sam 26000 dispatched champaign pick president clinton, flew la crosse, wisconsin event , flew final presidential service flight la crosse washington d.c., sam 26000 officially retired president s fleet.