Remarks on Arrival at Bangor, Maine.

Governor Curtis, Congressman Hathaway, and all of you who have come out to the airport to welcome us to Maine and given us such a wonderful welcome here at Bangor:

I can't tell you how pleased we are to see you. As we circled the airport in what is now the Spirit of '76---it used to be Air Force One¹--we saw all those cars parked. We thought of how long it took you to walk here and how long you have been standing here. Thank you very much for coming.

¹On July 30, 1971, in a ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., the President redesignated Air Force One as the Spirit of '76, as a symbol of the American Revolution Bicentennial.

Governor Curtis, of course, is here to welcome us, and Congressman Hathaway, and then, also, I have two members of our family who are here. When we told them we were coming to Maine they said they wanted to come. I will say a word about one of them in a moment. But Julie and David Eisenhower are here.

Now, Governor, if you don't mind, before your own very fine people here in Maine, could I reminisce a bit about Maine in a very nonpartisan way, if you don't mind? I see so many young people here, and so I will remind you of our first visit and our second and our third.

Our first visit, as a matter of fact, was back in the year 1942. In that year, just before going overseas, we had a little time off, we had a vacation period. So, my wife and I came up to Maine. A friend said the best place to go in Maine--now incidentally, anybody from any other place in Maine, remember, the friend said it was the best place in Maine--he said, Kennebunk Beach. So, we went to Kennebunk Beach and Kennebunkport and stayed in a little place in Goose Rocks. Do you know where that is? It that still there? Right. We had wonderful water there, and I will never forget, there was a little restaurant on what is called Cape Porpoise. We have been back since and that is gone, the restaurant is gone. They have a lighthouse there at the present time, or a Coast Guard station.

One thing that that has done, it has cost me a lot of money since then, because my wife became so attached to boiled Maine lobster that I have to buy it ever since. To show you that that runs in the family, just night before last we were up in New York, and we had an opportunity to visit our daughter, Tricia, and her husband, Eddie Cox. And what did they serve but Maine lobster. So we did that, too.

That was the first trip, we remembered that vacation. Little did we know that we would be returning again in another capacity.

I returned as a Congressman and made a couple of speeches. Years ago, your predecessor, Charlie Nelson,² of course, had one of the districts there, since deceased.

²The late Charles P. Nelson, United States Representative from Maine 1949-57.

But then, in the year 1952, Maine at that time--the Governor and all the political people will remember--used to have its elections early, your Congressional elections, in September. And so, all the candidates, the national candidates, the candidates for President and Vice President, they would all come to Maine because that was the test to see whether as the Nation went how ever Maine went.

So, I came there, and for 4 days my wife and I traveled all over Maine. I was a Senator then, nominee for Vice President. I will never forget the wonderful people that we met on that occasion.

Now we come to what all the young people will understand. In 1954, after I was elected Vice President, I wanted to take a vacation. So, we went to Ogunquit, Maine, on that occasion. And our two daughters were with us. At that time, Tricia was 8 and Julie was 6. They fell in love with the Maine water and Maine lobster, and that has cost me more ever since.

So, those were the occasions that we remember through the years, and, of course, other visits as well.

I just want to say this one thing with regard to this State, what this State means to us and what also it means to the Nation. First, to us, like millions of Americans-and we come from clear across in California-it is a great vacation State. And I am glad we can spend a weekend here on Minor Island. I am going to try that water. They say it is cold, but no colder than California water.

Second, it is also a State with the great political tradition. And I would say this-I speak as a Republican--I would say this in behalf of both Republicans and Democrats: Maine can be proud of the fact that in the Senate, in the Congress, at the national level, it has produced not just Senators and Congressmen who represented Maine, and their parties but Senators and Congressmen who had a national reputation. I will name two, and just to put it in the proper order, first the senior Senator, of course, from Maine, Margaret Chase Smith. I am very proud of her. Then, of course, Maine can be very proud Of the Democratic nominee for Vice President in the year 1968, and a man who might be the nominee, they say, for something in 1972, Ed Muskie.

Now, having gotten the bipartisan thing in, I will not say something partisan, but lilt me say something that I think we all believe. When we first came to Maine it was at the beginning of World War II, and since then we have had three wars: World War II, Korea, and then Vietnam. I see representatives of the VFW here. I see representatives of the American Legion. We have, of course, a National Guard band. That reminds us of what our men have been through and how much they have sacrificed.

Then through the years, as I have returned, whether we are Democrats or Republicans, and whatever our differences about what foreign policy should be, I think we can say this: We can be proud of the fact that the United States of America as a nation, wherever we have fought in wars, we have never fought to destroy freedom; we have fought to help others keep their freedom. We have never fought to break the peace; we have fought to keep the peace. We are a peaceful nation. We want peace, and we are going to get it. We are going to have peace for America in this generation and the years ahead. That is why I can report to you that we are ending the war in which we have been engaged. It will come to an end, and it will come to an end in a way that will contribute to a lasting peace.

Beyond that, I will be taking a journey--a long journey in a few months. The purpose of that journey really is not about our generation, the generation represented by the Governor and the Congressman and the rest. But it is really about this generation. I see them here, the young. What are they going to have 25 years from now? Are they going to look back, as we do, on three wars in one generation or are they going to look back on a generation of peace?

Let me tell you: We cannot have a generation of peace unless this is a world in which nations that might be antagonists have a chance to know each other, to talk to each other. It doesn't mean we will always agree. But it is essential that the United States of America, the most powerful nation in the world, have communication with other nations in the world that might threaten the peace of the world. Let us keep our strength; but from that position of strength, let us negotiate with other nations so that we can see to it that this young generation will not grow up in a period of war, but in a period of peace for a whole generation. That is what we want.

Incidentally, I think Senator Muskie and Margaret Smith could have made that very same speech and got the same reaction from you here.

So, with all of that, thank you again for your wonderful welcome. I know that Mrs. Nixon and I and David and Julie would like to meet some of you, so if we can, before we go to the helicopter, we would like to move down this line and greet a few of you.

Incidentally, is the water warm enough to swim in? Okay.

Thank you.