On September 3, 1970, the small community of Coronado, Calif., became “presi-dense.” U.S. President Richard Nixon and Mexico President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz came to Coronado where President Nixon hosted President Diaz Ordaz at a state dinner held at the Hotel del Coronado. It was the first state dinner held outside Washington, D.C.
Presidents Nixon and Diaz Ordaz had met in August in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they reached agreement on pending U.S.-Mexico border issues. The state dinner in Coronado was to celebrate that agreement.
Both Presidents arrived at Naval Air Station, North Island around midday. While I don’t know from where in Mexico Diaz Ordaz had left, Nixon had taken a helicopter from the “Western White House” in San Clemente, less than 60 miles north.
They traveled from North Island to the “Hotel Del” in a motorcade along Orange Avenue, Coronado’s main drag. A 30-minute leisurely drive with thousands lining the avenue. (I have a picture that’s closer than the one above, but Nixon’s waving arm blocked his face. Much better views in the video further down.) I assume I and others at Naval Special Warfare Group Pacific had asked permission to use our lunch hour to watch.
Here’s a gallery of street scenes that day.
There’s actually a brief film of the motorcade, taken by Rosemary Kelly with a Bell & Howell 8mm movie camera. Her son later incorporated it into a report about the day’s events and, of course, it’s on YouTube. (Not sure why this particular background music was chosen.)
Also in the motorcade were lots of California Highway Patrol on motorcycles and a bunch of “floats” celebrating patriotic and military themes and generally featuring young women. (There may have been others that did not feature young women, but I may not have taken pictures of those.) I’m guessing the floats had been part of Coronado’s famed July 4 parade and were making a repeat performance. A gallery:
The dinner was attended by some 1,000 guests, including former President Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson and California Governor Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan. In addition to U.S. and Mexican officials and California/San Diego luminaries, there were also popular culture stars of the time, at least those appreciated mostly by older adults. Among them were icons Frank Sinatra and John Wayne, and somewhat lesser folk like Art Linklater, Hugh O’Brien, Cesar Romero, Red Skelton, Efram Zimbalist Jr., and pro golfer Billy Casper, a San Diego native.
The two Presidents didn’t stay overnight. Both headed back to NAS North Island around midnight and took off on their trips home.