I was standing on the kitchen shelf waiting for our short trip to Dearborn, Michigan to begin when I envisioned a certain blonde from the 1950s and 60s singing “Happy Birthday Mr. President”. But instead of Marilyn aiming her affection towards President Kennedy, her sultry words were meant for my photographer – a Presidential Enthusiast. That’s right – it was August 19, 2021 and Tom had finally turned 65. Rather than blowing out candles and filling his face with cake, however, Tom and Bob Moldenhauer planned to spend the day together at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan. And the best part of all? I got to ride in my photographer’s brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee L for the first time – and let me tell you, that’s one sweet ride.
My companions usually do their best to arrive at the day’s first site before it opens, and on that hot Thursday morning, they succeeded – primarily because the early morning rush hour traffic through Detroit was a non-issue. The three of us had roughly 20 minutes to kill before we could enter the museum, which gave us some time for me to pose near the building’s exterior – which was a replica of Independence Hall. Since I had visited Philadelphia and historic Independence Hall two months earlier, posing in front of its look-a-like seemed very cool; at least to me. I had visited the museum in October 2014, but it seemed more special on that day for some reason – likely because it was my photographer’s 65th and Orville Wright’s 150th birthday.
At precisely 9:30am, the doors opened and the three of us made a “mad dash” for our primary target inside the museum – the refurbished Montgomery, Alabama bus No. 2857 that was on display in the ‘With Liberty and Justice for All’ area of The Henry Ford. But that was no ordinary bus. It was the Montgomery city bus on which passenger Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on December 1, 1955. In the 1950s, the city buses in Montgomery had designated certain seats towards the front as “White Only”. On that evening, as Parks was headed home from work, she boarded the Cleveland Avenue bus and sat in the first row of seats in what was designated as the “Colored” section. When the bus reached the third stop, several white passengers boarded, and they had to stand as all ten seats near the front had been occupied. The driver got up, moved the “Colored” section sign to the row of seats behind Parks, and demanded that Rosa and the three other African Americans in that row move to the back of the bus. Three complied, but Rosa Parks refused. As a matter of fact, she slid closer to the window and defiantly refused to move to the newly designated area. At that moment in time, the 42-year-old seamstress had the courage to take a stand against what was wrong. She sat in that seat until the police arrived and she was arrested. Four days later, the historic Montgomery bus boycott took place; an event that played a huge part in the Civil Rights Movement in America.
I was thrilled beyond words when Tom carried me onto the bus and placed me onto the seat where Rosa Parks had sat on that historic evening in 1955. Even though the bus had been gutted and most of the original seats were replaced, it was an honor for me to stand where such a courageous woman made history. During my few minutes in her seat, I thought about the impact she had made on that December evening. Even though Parks had worked all day as a seamstress, she was not too tired to stand. She was just tired, however, of giving in and was compelled to take a stand. Shortly after her arrest, she was quoted as saying: “I would have to know for once and for all what rights I had as a human being and a citizen.”
On April 18, 2012, President Barack Obama came to The Henry Ford to speak at a fundraiser for the Democratic Party. Before his 20-minute speech, Obama spent a few minutes alone on the historic Cleveland Avenue bus that was on display. While the President sat in the row of seats directly across the aisle from where Rosa Parks had sat, it gave him time to reflect on the impact she made and the bravery she possessed while seated on that very bus. Obama said after the visit: “I just sat in there for a moment and pondered the courage and tenacity that is part of our very recent history, but is also part of that long line of folks who sometimes are nameless, oftentimes didn’t make the history books, but who constantly insisted on their dignity, their share of the American dream.”
The ‘With Liberty and Justice for All’ section of Henry Ford Museum contained numerous displays and artifacts that focused on moments in America’s ongoing quest for freedom. That section of the museum does a great job of painting a picture of our nation’s struggles in the past 245 years as we not only fought for freedom, but had the courage and resolve to maintain it. Freedom is not free; and the next display I saw after we visited Rosa Parks’ bus proved that. On the night of April 14, 1865, less than a week after Lee surrendered to Grant that (for all intents and purposes) ended the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln and his wife relaxed at Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C. where they watched the stage production of ‘Our American Cousin’. As Lincoln sat in the red silk-covered rocking chair that was brought to the Presidential box especially for his visit, he was shot in the back of the head by Confederate sympathizer and actor John Wilkes Booth. Throughout his life, Abraham Lincoln believed the United States was more than just an ordinary nation – it was an ongoing experiment, set in motion by our forefathers, as a unique form of democracy. During his Presidency, he had a vision of an indivisible Union and he gave his last full measure of devotion to preserve it.
When Tom held me close to the protective glass case the historic chair was displayed in, I was at a loss for words. It was as though I could see President Lincoln seated there, relaxed in the rocker and laughing as actor Harry Hawk recited the line “Well, I guess I know enough to turn you inside out, old gal; you sockdologizing old mantrap!” At that very moment, Booth pulled the trigger on his single-shot Philadelphia derringer that sent a round ball into the brain of our beloved 16th President. There was an ornate carving at the top of the chair’s back, and my resin heart ached when I envisioned Lincoln’s head positioned only inches from that carving when he was assassinated. There was also a dark noticeable stain on the headrest’s upholstery and at first I thought it was Lincoln’s blood – but instead it was hair oil from people’s heads who had sat there after the assassination. That didn’t mean the rocker’s fabric was without any bloodstains, however. When the museum had the chair tested, they discovered some blood stains on the left side of the headrest below the dark stain. Blood was also found near the front of the seat cushion.
One of the greatest humans, not only in American history, but in the entire world’s history, spent his last conscious moments on Earth seated in that chair. That ornate rocker was the last thing Abraham Lincoln felt with his hands. April 14, 1865 wasn’t the first time Lincoln sat in that rocker at Ford’s Theater, however. In the winter of 1863, when the 16th President made his first visit to Ford’s, he sat in that same chair in the same special box above the stage. That famous rocker that I had the honor to stand near was originally owned by Harry Ford, treasurer of the theater, and he had the chair brought from his bedroom and put in the theater’s box to make the President more comfortable during the play. Ford had no way of knowing that his personal red silk upholstered rocker would become the most famous chair in history.
Within a short distance of Lincoln’s rocker in the “With Liberty and Justice for All” area of the museum, we found a copy of the Declaration of Independence on display. Upon first sight, I thought to myself: “What’s the big deal, Tom and Bob have a copy of the Declaration, and their copies have been photographed at the homes and gravesites of all 56 Signers. How could this one be better than theirs?” It turned out that it was a lot better; and it had a Presidential connection as well. The engraving was commissioned by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams in 1820 and on July 4, 1823 only 200 copies were made from the original document. Of those 200 copies, two each were given to the surviving Signers (which were John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Charles Carroll); while the rest were distributed to Congress, state governments, and colleges. The document that I stood alongside was one of only about 30 known copies still in existence. For me, I loved the opportunity to get a close-up look at the signature of Thomas Jefferson. While it was amazing for me to see a perfect copy of the original Declaration of Independence, it was even better to see a perfect copy of Jefferson’s signature that he penned on August 2, 1776. And the fact that the copy in front of me was created while Thomas Jefferson was still alive boggled my resin-filled mind. It was true – the Declaration at The Henry Ford was better than Tom and Bob’s copies they had purchased in 1986 at Independence Hall.
Located in another display case not too far from the replica Declaration of Independence were artifacts dedicated to George Washington. On display was his camp bed and other equipment the General carried and used while in the field during the Revolutionary War. I saw a camp chest and mess kit that were specially made for him as he toured the battlefields in New York and New England as the war wound down. There was also a folding camp bed on display that Washington likely used when he travelled from his Newburgh, New York headquarters in July 1783 to visit military installations in upstate New York. Even though George’s stuff was protected behind glass, I was able to get fairly close to some of it. Just knowing that General Washington laid on that bed and ate from that mess kit sent chills up and down my back. Although it was the second time I had seen Washington’s stuff on display at The Henry Ford, I never get tired looking at it.
We had been inside the museum for nearly 90 minutes and I saw a handful of historic artifacts that had Presidential connections; and each one was uniquely amazing. But Tom saved the largest Presidential collection for last – the collection of Presidential automobiles. There were five vehicles on display, lined up in chronological order beginning with Reagan’s car and ending with Teddy Roosevelt’s carriage. Without a doubt, however, the highlight of the quintet was the 1961 JFK limousine. That’s right, the X-100 Lincoln Continental four-door convertible that President Kennedy was riding in when he was shot and assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963 was only a few feet away from me. It looked different than what I had seen in images from that fateful day, but that’s because the vehicle went through a huge transformation and stayed in Presidential service until 1977.
Positioned in front of Kennedy’s car was another Lincoln limousine that was built in 1972; and like the JFK limo, it was also involved in a shooting. I thought to myself: “Perhaps the White House should avoid leasing cars with the name Lincoln associated with it, just to keep them from getting shot at”. On March 30, 1981 as President Ronald Reagan emerged from the Washington Hilton Hotel, shots rang out from the handgun of John Hinckley, Jr. Although Reagan was not hit directly, a .22 Long Rifle bullet ricocheted off the limousine and hit the President in the left underarm. As I stood within a few feet of that same limo, I looked at the rear passenger door and wondered if that was where Hinckley’s bullet had originally hit. As the six gunshots rang out, the President was hurriedly pushed into the backseat of the car by the Secret Service, who at the moment didn’t realize Reagan was hit. When a Secret Service Agent saw frothy blood coming from Reagan’s mouth, the limousine was driven to George Washington University Hospital instead of the White House. In the aftermath, Hinckley had shot four people, including Reagan, Press Secretary James Brady, D.C. police officer Thomas Delahanty, and Secret Service Agent Timothy McCarthy. While the black Lincoln limousine that rushed President Reagan to the hospital wasn’t as famous as the JFK car, it would’ve been had Reagan died from his injuries.
The third Presidential vehicle that we saw came to be known as the ‘Bubbletop’; which was a cool-looking 1950 Lincoln limousine that was purchased for Harry S Truman and became the primary car for Dwight D. Eisenhower. A unique device that had been attached to the vehicle was the “bug shield”, which was put in place to keep insects from striking Ike as he stood to greet crowds during motorcades. Eisenhower had the car outfitted with a removable Plexiglas top that allowed him to see and be seen in bad weather. Our 34th President used that limousine during both of his terms; while JFK and LBJ kept the ‘Bubbletop’ as a spare until the car was retired in 1967.
The final two Presidential vehicles I saw and had the honor to pose alongside were both associated with the Roosevelt’s – Franklin and Theodore. FDR’s car was known as the ‘Sunshine Special’ and was reported to be the “First Presidential car to acquire its own personality”. Franklin’s limousine was a 1939 Lincoln K Series, and it remained in service until a new fleet of vehicles were ordered for President Truman after the 1948 election. Roosevelt loved the car as it allowed him to appear before crowds and he could easily be seen without leaving the vehicle. When Tom carried me to the front of Theodore’s vehicle, it turned out to be a horse-drawn carriage instead of an automobile. One reason Roosevelt preferred his 1902 Brougham was due to the fact that Teddy wasn’t fond of automobiles and he rarely used them. Instead, TR favored the old-fashioned style of the horse-drawn carriage for public parades and outings. After Roosevelt left office, his Brougham remained at the White House during the administrations of Taft, Wilson, Harding, and Coolidge – although it was used primarily to haul groceries and run other errands during their terms.
Altogether, my companions and I spent nearly 30 minutes at the Presidential vehicle display as Tom and Bob did their best to capture images without others in the frames. I laughed to myself as my photographer literally danced from one vehicle to another when he noticed a car had been abandoned by other tourists. Tom was forced to be quick as those limousines attracted people like a deer carcass attracts flies on the side of the highway. But he was successful; and quite frankly, I was happy when that photo-op had finished. The Presidential cars were great, and I loved seeing them; but since I got dragged from one to another and back again, my enthusiasm wore off.
After I had posed for one final image alongside JFK’s X-100, I suddenly had a frog in my throat. Well, maybe the green amphibian was in my mind rather than my throat. As Tom carried me towards the temporary travelling exhibit called ‘The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited’, it was as though I could hear voices singing: “It’s time to play the music; It’s time to light the lights. It’s time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight.” As Tom and I entered the exhibit, I soon found myself posing next to a Kermit the Frog puppet, originally performed by Jim Henson and used on the Muppet Show in 1978. There were roughly 20 puppets on display inside the exhibit, although I posed next to only three of them – Kermit the Frog and Bert and Ernie. The pair of puppets known as Bert and Ernie were originally performed by Frank Oz and Jim Henson and the two Muppets were best friends. The Muppet duo on display were from different decades – Bert was from the 1970s while Ernie performed during the 1980s. Once Tom photographed me near the three puppets, he placed me back into the camera case while he continued to walk through the exhibit to capture images of the other famous Muppets.
After seeing the Muppets up close, I left the museum with a greater respect for Jim Henson and his creations. Not only did Henson’s puppets leave a permanent mark on popular culture, but they also inspired people of all ages in a positive fashion. As a matter of fact, Kermit and his friends reminded me of myself. I have my own blog and had recently starred in my own show; plus, I strive to inspire people of all ages by bringing history to life in a positive manner. Now all I need is for someone to stick their hand up my back to make me talk and sing!
Earlier in the morning, Tom and Bob planned on visiting Greenfield Village after their time inside the Henry Ford Museum was finished, but due to the day’s extreme heat, they changed their plans. While I thought it would’ve been awesome to visit the Wright Brother’s home and bicycle shop on Orville Wright’s 150th birthday, I didn’t have a vote on the ultimate decision. Instead, my photographer placed me on a second-row seat of the Grand Cherokee where I stood inside the camera case and reflected about my time on the historic Montgomery bus. As my thoughts centered on the courage of Rosa Parks, I overheard my companions as they discussed a return trip to Woodlawn Cemetery. I was thrilled to hear that. After all, an hour or so earlier I had stood on the seat where Parks made her way into the history books in 1955 and now I’ll get to once again pay my personal respects to the courageous woman at her gravesite.
Woodlawn Cemetery is located opposite the Michigan State Fairgrounds on Woodward Avenue in Detroit. When we arrived at roughly 12:30pm, Mongo went inside the administration building to get the four-digit code that we needed to open the door to the Rosa L. Parks Freedom Chapel where Parks was entombed. During his time inside the office, Bob also sought out directions to the final resting place of Aretha Franklin. While Rosa Parks has been known as “The Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement”, Aretha Franklin was the “Queen of Soul” and I couldn’t wait to pay my R-E-S-P-E-C-T to both of them.
Rosa Parks died of natural causes at the age of 92 on October 24, 2005. After she laid in state at a church in Montgomery and then in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, she was laid to rest at Woodlawn following a seven-hour long funeral service at Greater Grace Temple Church in Detroit. Rosa Parks was interred in the Woodlawn chapel’s mausoleum between her husband and mother; a short time later the chapel was renamed in her honor. The interior of the chapel was beautiful and serene; the silence broken only by the clicks of Tom and Bob’s cameras. As I stood near the crypt that contained the mortal remains of the “Mother of the Modern Day Civil Rights Movement”, I saluted Rosa for her quiet, resolute strength. Actions speak louder than words and there were very few actions that spoke louder and made more of an impact than Rosa Parks’ in 1955.
When we finished paying our respects to Rosa Parks, the three of us headed to the northern section of Woodlawn Cemetery where we found the Main Mausoleum. Compared to the Rosa L. Parks Freedom Chapel, the Main Mausoleum was enormous; luckily Bob had obtained written instructions of where Aretha Franklin’s crypt was located inside the building, or we may never have found it. As soon as Tom carried me into the first-floor section where “The Queen of Soul” was laid to rest, I was surprised to see that it looked like the rest of the crypts there; including the crypt of her father, who were interred nearby. Although the white marble face of Aretha’s final resting place was adorned with “The Queen of Soul” in small gold lettering above her name, the crypt seemed too ordinary for a Queen. As a matter of fact, some of the other nearby crypts were missing letters and numbers, which made me worry about Aretha’s crypt over time. Aretha Louise Franklin, who died at the age of 76 on August 16, 2018, provided years of soul for our nation; and at times, her voice provided healing when our country needed it the most. Aretha was a natural woman who deserved nothing but R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Both Rosa Parks and Aretha Franklin had been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is our nation’s highest civilian award. Even though both women had the same Presidential connection, that wasn’t the reason I felt privileged to visit their gravesites. Rosa Parks had the courage to take a stand, and her quiet dignity helped ignite the most significant social movement in the history of the United States. And Aretha Franklin’s unmistakable voice helped revolutionize American music and she helped shape our nation’s artistic and cultural heritage. To me, that says a lot; and both iconic women deserved nothing but the utmost R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
When we left Woodlawn Cemetery, I had a bounce in my step; as well as a wiggle in my head. While Tom drove the Jeep down Woodward Avenue, all I kept hearing in my mind was “Sock it to me, sock it to me, a little respect, just a little bit. R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.” At one point during our ride home, I heard Mongo ask Tom where he wanted to go for his birthday lunch. When my photographer replied: “IHOP”, I instantly laughed and thought: “I-H-O-P, that’s what pancakes mean to me.”
We arrived home at about 3:15pm, Tom immediately placed me back in his showcase next to his own bobble head. It had been a great one-day excursion with Mongo, and I couldn’t wait to hit the road again with him.
I wanted to participate in my photographer’s birthday celebration, but that never happened. Tom and his wife Vicki went to dinner with their daughter Ashley and her family; but they left without me. I was stunned – and disappointed. My photographer and I have travelled 46,300 miles together over the past eight years. On his 65th birthday, Tom wouldn’t let me travel one mile with him to the local bowling alley for dinner. I was saddened for sure. I thought I deserved a little more R-E-S-P-E-C-T than that!
