All along the hill in rowdy lees home to round up the grave site the grave covered with flowers. We got out. And put our flowers down. To the moment and then we turn around and left. Each saying our own words to the beautiful vista of washington is that they spread out below us . In our hearts, you look around your in this jungle and i find myself in and you want somebody to tie to and you look for who is wrong intelligent and instinct not prior knowledge or settlement makes me think that was matt bundy is one of tho. We talked about. Ha to bridge the gap between the Kennedy Administration and the johnston administration and is linden would say he had read the best of the two to each i tried very earnestly to express my thanks. To him that was Lady Bird Johnson from her december 1st 1963 diary recording after visiting president. John f. Kennedys grave just days after his assassination. Lady. Bird was confronting a new life as first lady of the United States. She lived in the white house from 1963 to 1969. Some of this countrys most tumultuous years through the Civil Rights Movement vietnam and political assassinations. Youll hear her in her own voice how she experienced that time featuring footage from cspans video library. Wednesday january the 8th state of the union was one of those days that you have the feeling that everything thats gone before the last two weeks at any rate was leading up to working up to so much sir. Hillary have felt when he had last reads the top of Mount Everest because it seemed like to me we had i had a long long ropes dressed up a high how mountain and day by day. Wed been pulling and hauling and this finally was the day that we either came we came to the top fell on our face are stood up and planted the flag. I arrived a little bit early and took my seat in the front row flanked on the right by lucy beans and then how glad i was to have Roberta Vincent next and then uncle Huffman Baines his wife and angel cifa. That was a sort of well. I know that mrs. Johnson would have liked that. There on the other side. I had susan. And helen and nobody watched it more interest than healing. Behind us with the wires the cabinet members and the wives the supreme court. And also as our guests were Hobart Taylor and jay taylor, and i noticed tucked away on the father is step in the last little square ranch was windy marcus young and eager and ready to grab life by the forelock. Im glad she made it inside the door the familiar room below again to fill up with a pump and display that always takes place in these occasions. How many times ive seen it the house was in its seat been with a loud announcement from fishbeat miller in came the senate. Then came the i think next comes the chromatic core getting bigger all the time and how they are going to find to find room for them. I dont know. And then the cabinet and the cord occupying the front rows and it is most pontifical voice fish bait miller and how could they ever be a replacement for fish bait . Rose i said be president of the United States and in walk london flanked by old friends of longstanding and went up to the podium. Right in front of speaker mccormick instead of carl hayden with the flag behind him despicable mccormick gray and craggy and white haired. Senator hayden here ever since arizona end of the union charming lovely 85 rally humorous but i wonder how many people in chamber were struck with the thought that there is a dramatic. Something there that says take care. My favorite line was actually about the first i will be brief for our time is necessarily short and our agenda is already long and then there was a line about it can be done by this summer. I want it done in order to so the house and the senate will look better to the nation as much as i wanted to be done or for lindens good and the Democratic Party is good. By all odds most important thing to me in the speech was where he said then that this administration here and now declares unconditional war on poverty in america. I asked this congress at all americans to join with me in that effort, but theyre pretty heavy accent on education on retraining on health. I like that line about a thousand dollars invested in salvaging and unemployable youth today can return 40,000 or more in his lifetime. You want to listen for about one minute to my particular . Would you rather wait to just im more than that. I thought that you look strong firm and like a guy you look for splendid the closeups were much better than the distance ones where you cant get them good. Well, i would say this there were more close up than they would distance during this statement you breathless, and there was too much looking down and i think it was a little too fast. Pace there was a considerable pickup and drama and interests when the questioning began your voice was noticeably better and your facial expressions. Noticeably better. The mechanics of the room were not too good because all i heard you well throughout every bit of it. I did not hear your questioners clearly. Well the question wont talk some of them you could hear and and but in generally you could not hear them very well. Um every night man. You need a good crisp answer for change of pace and therefore i was very glad you answered one man. Answer to is known to both of your questions. Are you i thought your answer on lodge was good. I thought you answer on vietnam was good. I really didnt like the answer on the gall because i think ive heard you say and i but i believe you actually have set out loud, but you dont believe you all about of the country this year. So i dont think you can very well say that you meet him anytime thats convenient both people when we can be a raise. Im not going out of this country. I didnt say where id go. I didnt say id go out of the country at all and no i guess this is a reaffirm that i wouldnt go i see well i then i just didnt hear didnt didnt get the meaning of it that everybody else did. I think the outstanding things with the closeups were excellent. You need to learn when youre gonna have a prep. Text you need to have the opportunity to study it a little bit more and to read it with a little more conviction and interest. And change of pace probably as a criticize you for taking so much time. They want to use it all for questions and their questions dont produce any news. They dont give them news. We catch hell, so my problem was trying to get through before 10 minutes still around 10 minutes day. And i took the third of it the questions not good if id already like i wanted to fifteen minutes, but i didnt know what to cut out maybe ought to cut out marys heart and but i thought that every place on those names had dropped theyd call up the fell and ask him about it and hed get his name in the paper and then publicized it good and it helped the committee. I believe if id had that choice i would have said use a 13 minutes or 14 father statement. In general id say it was a good b. Plus. How do you feel about it . I thought was much better than last week. Well, i heard last week see and and didnt see it and didnt hear all of it. And in any rate i felt a lot i mean like you had thought of gotten over a heart psychologically and in other ways, itll be interesting to hear everybody elses reaction. And we got oh what the time right sorry bears in here are waiting a reasonably early dinner with us and i and i got my ten oclock date and you do anything you want to about getting another couple of tootie with us and let me know and i love you much. Okay, but the sale and the whole nation at this election are the crossroads between past and future. We face many problemsogether. Peace is one an Economic Prosperity is another we have reached good and Workable Solutions in the past through this partnership. And it takes men in washington who care about the people of the south and it takes citizens here at home with a vision of the future. Today many parts othe south present one ofhe nations proudest pictures of progress. A democtic victory means we wi face new challenges together with imagination and feel. We draw on the past by strenh. But we do not plan to turn back. I have campaigned across this country. In 44 states discussing the issues learning from your views lady bird has been my closest. And most valuable campaigner and i want her to tell you. Something of her impression of the last few weeks. These have been strenuous but inspiring days from me and for our daughters. Together we have been in 49 states. It was like a capsule of americana a telescoped course in the geography and the history and the people who make up this land. Youre bound to come back with a closer kinship and a better understanding of the people you work for. I loved campaigning beside my husband and providing the companionship and reassurance and continuity. And like every wife to offer cheer or suggestions as the moment requires. And occasionally i was flattered to be asked to take on assignment on my own. One colorful and pictures rest time that especially stands out in my memory. The four day was sort of stop train trip with 47 stops through eight states in the south. From virginia to louisiana i remember so well the intent leatherfaced farmers the little boys hanging off the box cars. The woman who told me she had gotten up early and milk 20 cows before coming to the depot. I can never forget them. That was the kind of country where i grew up. But the important thing about it was it showed the intense entries of the people in that government. There are many things the traveler even the hurried campaign traveler learns. You see what a diverse and strong and wonderful country. This is and i know i am better for knowing it better. Then you learn that for the most part. These are good times in america and we want to keep them that way. And you learn that first in the hearts of most of the citizens of this country is a desire to keep america. And to keep the world at peace. That is what all americans will really be voting on tomorrow. Whether they live in the south or the north or the east of the west a beautification to my mind is far more than a matter of cosmetics. To me. It describes the whole effort to bring the Natural World and the manmade world into harmony to bring order usefulness delight. To our whole environment dredged out of the historic potomac some 50 years ago. Columbia island is a gift of nature and man. Im so pleased that this piece of land challenged this committee and we have concentrated much of our efforts and gifts. In for powering yet as a magnificent to the capital. Having been there when the daffodils were planted. Having seen them and that drifts of yellow along the slopes of the river. Having watched almost every one of those trees go into the ground and envisioned how that expanse of white and pink dogwoods is going to look next spring you can be sure. That i shall return. Youre watching American History tv where youre listening to ladybird Johnson Johnson in her own words. In march of 1968 as the vietnam war raged on lbj announced that he would not seek reelection that year lady bird opened up the white house as had her predecessor Jacqueline Kennedy to the American Public via television cameras. This was recorded by the white house naval photographic center. Many years ago when i was the wife of a brand new texas congressman. I snapped photographs outside these iron gates. I never imagined that one day i would live on the other side of that fence. Like many tourists i had the distinct feeling that this house belonged in part to me. I think thats a feeling that everyone who visits here shares. Just like the thousands who come here each year. I was impressed by the majesty of the great state rooms on the first floor and was proud of the stream of history that ran through each of them. What the pastor by doesnt always realize is that there are two sides to the white house. The official side that remains in the public eye and the private side that the public rarely sees the living quarters for the president and his family. This is our living room. Actually. Its the west end of the long haul. Its the nerve center and crossroads of all family activities. An intimate place and yet busy. And it belongs to all the family. Psychologically when you cross that threshold you feel that youre at home that youre inside your own house. You can put on a robe and slippers and curl up with a good book we gather here on all the climactic occasions such as the immediate moments following the state of the Union Message are another major address to the nation. We usually invite those who worked on the speech who had contributed to the event. On those nights this room has been filled. It has the same electric quality of a broadway opening. After the performance your anxious to hear the reviews. Although weve had some thrilling successes. And high moments of pride that was some chili moments, too. But happy are painful. This is where the initial public reaction is seen by the president. And this is where his family shares this experience. This room is also a listening post for the tone of the day. When we have no engagements in the evening i come in here with some of my work. That isnt so demanding and wait for lending to come home from his work. You can see his office from here. The lights may be on until 8 oclock. Or maybe nine oclock or ten oclock. Sometimes he doesnt come home to dinner until after midnight. Its not very far for a man to commute. But in terms of his responsibilities, there is a great distance from here to there. Article being up here as linda brought in her latest acquisition for our old book collection and lucy emerged from the kitchen with a pan of brownie. She made and at the same time knowing that linden was down there only a few yards away. But the tenses mites of all are the lights on in the cabinet room. And the television vans on executive avenue. Perhaps it was the crisis of the gulf of tonkin. Of the middle east in june 67 but sooner or later the lights will go out. And then in a few moments. I will hear an eagle voice down the hall call out. Wheres bird . And then i know hes home. Really home like the living room and any American Home this room has its personal touches. Bookshelves that reflect the individual interests of a family old and treasured friends one of the things that i am proud to leave as a reminder of our time here is the addition to the white house Permanent Collection of paintings. Thomas sully is portrait of Fannie Campbell is cher romance, and i love it. This is our most recent acquisition for the Permanent Collection. Robert henrys gypsy girl the First Painting acquired during our stay at the white house. Was winslow home was sorry it perhaps neck. A saved my favorite mary cassat for last. You can almost feel the love between the mother and those children. Look at that little girl. She wandering but the small child is going to mean to her life. Its such a dear painting. It seems to set the tone of the room. Its where the family shared so many personal and intimate moments once. Where we felt we were in the heart of the house really at home. President Lyndon Baines johnson died in 1973 lady bird lived on until 2007 dying at the age of 94. Youll hear now from the last part of her life as she reflected on her continuing work and on lbjs legacy. What do you think . Not what do you hope but what do you think will be in longterm history . Lyndon johnsons legacy. What will people remember . 50 years now i dont know. He would have liked it to be the education president. That is what he placed all his hopes on he said its the only passport out of poverty. And its the one thing that can be taken away from him. As education i think itll probably be civil rights and i think it is so peculiarly, right . And appropriate that it should have been a southern president. Who managed to do that . And part of some very painful loss of good friends from the south and i dont think i dont think they intended for it to go on forever, i think. Well, im just a professional southerner. As well as a professional. Texan how much influence did you have on him when it came to civil rights . Oh, i just think. He healed his own path made his own decisions, but i think we all knew it was going to happen someday. And yes, it would be it would be shake yourself like being in a mixed master sort of but i think it. I think it will be. Well over over top education wheres vietnam going to fit in . As a wretched obstacle along the way which he couldnt solve couldnt escape. Couldnt shake off. When did you see him at his lowest . And during those days i think when the bags began to come home by that i mean body banks, they would come in at night on freight trains. And i dont know what this was. Good planning. I just happened to ask. But several times that would be on my way back from a trip. To new york from samoya and at the station as i would get off. And they would be free trains and those. Bags would be and being unloaded. Put on to i dont know what kind of vehicle. And that a new what he was doing. And i knew i couldnt help him. Did you try to help in anyone . Yes, yes, of course. What would you do . And just say youre doing the best you can and i think a lot of those people understand it. And there really isnt there isnt much you can do in such a situation like that except that say im here. Thank you for joining us on American History tv for this special. Look at ladybird johnson in her own words next week. Youll hear from betty ford who was seen as a thoroughly thoroughly modern and candid first lady. 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