President Bush's Marshfield Visit

   Last time I wrote about Marshfield's annual 4th of July celebration and specifically its 4th of July celebration of 100 years ago. I mentioned in passing, as well, that President George H. W. Bush was a guest of honor at the 1991 Marshfield event. This time, I thought I'd go into a little more detail about that 1991 presidential visit.
   A rumor first surfaced in the Ozarks around the 17th or 18th of June that President Bush was planning to visit the Springfield area on the 4th and attend an Independence Day celebration, but no specific details were known and some observers dismissed the speculation altogether. If the rumors were true, either Springfield, which was planning a big 4th of July celebration in 1991, or Marshfield, which was noted for having one of the biggest and best small-town celebrations in the area, was considered the president's most likely destination. It was not until a couple of days later, however, that a presidential trip to the Springfield area was confirmed and the Marshfield celebration was announced as the one Mr. Bush would attend. Plans called for him to spend the night of the 3rd in Springfield and visit Marshfield the next day.
   By June 23, Marshfield merchants were already trying to cash in on their town's newfound celebrity, suggesting in ads that people visit the town on the 4th because they might get to see the president, and, of course, they could take advantage of the bargains the merchants had to offer while they were at it.
   An advance presidential team arrived in Springfield and Marshfield on June 27 to make arrangements for Bush's visit. It was announced that, after likely spending the night of the 3rd in Springfield, the president would arrive in Marshfield around 10:00 a.m. on the 4th. Members of the team met with Marshfield officials to discuss security and other arrangements for the presidential visit, but whether Mr. Bush would actually participate in the parade or simply observe it from the sideline was not revealed. Many details of the president's visit were deliberately kept hush-hush for security reasons.
   As the 4th approached, Marshfield officials and city employees were hustling and bustling about to make sure the town was "fit for a president," but most of the regular people were taking all the publicity in stride. "It's just another Fourth of July," one resident remarked.
   Although many Marshfield residents were taking the president's approaching visit in stride, many others were getting involved in the hype. An organizer of the event said about 5,000 people usually attended the 4th of July celebration in an average year, but this year they were expecting as many as 15,000. Marshfield stores were doing a booming business selling patriotic merchandise, such as t-shirts with US flags and other American symbols on them.
   On July 2, it was announced that President Bush would indeed be participating in the Marshfield 4th of July Parade, scheduled to start at 10 a.m., and not merely watching it as a spectator. He and his wife, Barbara, would walk part of the parade route, and then the president would give a brief speech at 11:10 a.m. Those wishing to watch the president march in the parade would have to obtain tickets (free of charge) and be screened as they passed through one of two checkpoints that were set up near the parade route. Tickets were being sold not only in Marshfield but also in Springfield and at several other towns in Webster County.
   President Bush arrived in Springfield on the evening of July 3 and spent the night at the University Plaza Hotel, where they rolled out the red carpet for him. Among the special treats waiting for him when he arrived were Godiva chocolates placed on his freshly fluffed pillow. He and his entourage of about 300 people occupied the top three floors of the hotel.
   Early on the morning of the fourth, President Bush ate breakfast at Hemingway's Restaurant on the Bass Pro Shops plaza and then toured the Bass Pro Shops store. Returning to the hotel, Bush then left in a motorcade for Marshfield in time for the 10:00 a.m. parade. Dressed in long-sleeved shirt with no collar, no tie, and his sleeves rolled up, the president walked at the head of the parade as it passed through the town square, occasionally pausing to shake hands with spectators, who stood behind a barricade that lined the route of the parade. After passing through the square, Bush watched the rest of the parade from a viewing stand, where he waved to parade participants as they passed by.
   After the parade, President Bush gave a brief speech praising US soldiers, who'd just completed Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf War, and he also had words of support for his recent Supreme Court nominee, Clarence Thomas. The president's visit boosted attendance at the Marshfield Independence Day celebration to an estimated 15,000-20,000, compared to 5,000-10,000 who normally attended.
   About 11:45 a.m., shortly after his speech, Bush's motorcade left Marshfield for the Springfield Airport, where he and the First Lady boarded Air Force One and departed for Grand Rapids, Michigan, shortly before 1:00 p.m.