I didn't attend though I covered the Senator through the years. I went to Washington from Phoenix in 1974 or 1975 to cover the events surrounding a reunion of staff and friends. It was billed as the 10th annual anniversary of Goldwater's non-inauguration. I managed a handshake with then-President Gerald Ford.
I have many fond memories of Goldwater, though we didn't often share a political philosophy. But he was a good man.
This picture is from a visit he made to North Dakota during his 1964 campaign. I was a news reporter in Bismarck then and am standing just behind him, visible over his shoulder.
One added item, if you don't mind. One of my colleagues at KFYR Radio at the time was a young (weren't we all) disc jockey named Dan Brannan. Regular readers of this blog may recall my infrequent references to him as Danny Bananas. Yesterday in Bismarck, Dan was honored by the North Dakota Broadcasters Association with the Pioneer Award. Congratulations to him.
