THE PASSING of General Charles de Gaulle reminds us of the qualities that make men and nations great. His was the quality of character that enables men to surmount all obstacles, to call up reserves of courage, to turn adversity into triumph. His was the quality of vision that could see the grand sweep of history at a time when others focused on the events of the moment. He provided inspiration to an age in danger of being overwhelmed by the commonplace and, therefore, his passing is a loss not only for the French Nation but for all mankind.
Note: The statement was released at Key Biscayne, Fla.
General de Gaulle, President of France from 1959 to 1969, died on November 9, 1970, of a heart attack in his home in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, France, at the age of 79.
Richard Nixon, Statement About the Death of General Charles de Gaulle of France Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/240540