PRESIDENT DIOUF’S LAST STEP
By Maj. Gen. Jerry R. Curry (ret'd)
CurryforAmerica.com
The Ceremonial Office of the Military District of
Washington is charged with seeing
that the lectern on the south lawn of the
White House is in its proper place when a foreign
dignitary such as a king, president or prime
minister is formally received by the President of
the United States. MDW also positions the ropes that
channel the crowds and mark the ground where the
ceremony will take place, so the dignitaries know
where to sit or stand.
When I was MDW’s Commanding General I was sometimes
asked what a king, queen or president talked about
as I escorted them through a ceremony? If the
ceremony was something like laying a wreath at the
Tomb of the Unknowns at
“Mr. President, about three steps ahead of you is a
loose flagstone that we discovered during rehearsal
this morning. If you step on it, you may fall flat
on your face. So move a little more to your right.
There … that’s fine. Now turn your head a little to
the left so the TV cameras have a good angle on you.
Yes, just a little more … good … hold it right
there.”
Sometimes the dignitary just wanted to talk. For
example, during one state visit, King Juan Carlos of
One of the most amusing conversations I had was with
President Diouf of
The ceremony took place on the east side of the Tomb
which offered a sweeping panoramic view of the city
of
That day the sky was a soft, bright blue; fluffy
white clouds with no sharp edges had come down
wonderfully close to the earth. A gentle breeze
stirred the leaves.
We mounted the stairs together… and alone. It was
like being in a football stadium with the bleachers
full of silent fans and only two people moving about
the playing field. At the top of the stairs is a
landing too narrow for a normal ceremony and there
is always the possibility that the dignitary will
make a misstep and come tumbling back down.
As we climbed I cautioned, “Mr. President, when we
get to the last step, stop on it. Do not go any
further. The landing at the top is quite narrow. You
will feel my arm touching your back to remind you
not to back up. Remember, when you get to the last
step…stop right there, do not step up onto the
narrow landing.
Slowly, majestically we continued climbing, our
footsteps perfectly synchronized. From his great
height President Diouf obliquely glanced down at me
and said softly, “My Dear General, thank you so much
for your concern for my welfare. However, when you
are the President of a
I struggled to keep from laughing out loud, “Sir,” I
responded, “In this case, I am able to choose your
last step for you…I can assure you…it will be well
protected and quite safe.”
Unknowingly, I was being prophetic. After the
ceremony President Diouf returned to