My first assignment on a Protection Detail as a park ranger was in 1978 when President Jimmy Carter took his family to visit Yellowstone National Park.
THE WHITE HOUSE – THE DAILY DIARY OF PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER – AUGUST 26, 1978
I was assigned to provide security in the Old Faithful Area for the Carter family as they walked on the boardwalk to view Old Faithful Geyser.
While waiting for the Carter family along a rope line, I overheard several visitors loudly complaining about Carter’s economic policies but as soon as he approached, they were waving and reaching out to shake hands with the President.
After his Presidency, Carter made several return visits to Yellowstone and on one of them he sat down for pizza at the Employee Pub at Lake Village and bought a round of beer for the rangers who were part of his protection detail in 1978.
Years later, on August 25, 1995, I was dispatched to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone to secure a Landing Zone (LZ) for Marine One that would be flying in with the Clinton Family.
Several of us walked the LZ that evening to make sure it was clear of debris and a safe place to land.
The next day, President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and daughter Chelsea were helicoptered into Yellowstone from Jackson Hole for a sightseeing tour of Yellowstone.
Early that morning, I had a team of Park Rangers from Lake District with me surrounding the LZ for the President’s arrival.
While waiting for Marine One, an exceptionally large bison appeared out of nowhere and claimed the LZ for himself.
A member of Marine One on the ground apprehensively suggested that I get the bison to move off the LZ and that he would do it himself if I was hesitant about shooing the bison away.
I assured the Secret Service and a nervous crew member that the bison would clear the area as soon as he heard the rotor blades of the helicopter.
And sure enough, the bison made a run for it as Marine One approached the LZ.
After a safe landing, the First Family was driven to Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon where they enjoyed a hike along a ridge overlooking spectacular views of the canyon and the Yellowstone River.
A Ranger's Journal 