Michael and the Burning Car

One of my track teammates in high school was Michael Dyer. He was two years older than I was, and he was the star miler for my high school during my sophomore year in 1970.

Following Michael's senior year in high school, he entered Cerritos Junior College. One day, as classes were getting out, he saw that a police car had overturned and was on fire, and a police officer was trapped inside. Without thinking and without hesitating, Michael ran to the car, forced open the door, and pulled the officer to safety.

Michael did not think anything more of it until the local newspaper printed the story about his brave action in pulling a police officer from his burning car.

A lot of people saw that news story and were impressed. One of those people was President Richard Nixon.

President Nixon contacted Michael and told him that he would like Michael to be his guest and to take his tickets in the Presidential Box at the Rose Bowl that year. Michael and his family members sat that New Year's Day with Nixon's cabinet members on the 50-yard line at the Rose Bowl.

It was a great day for Michael, and the local paper ran a full story about President Nixon rewarding Michael for his heroism. He stated that in an era when so many young men were calling police officers pigs and throwing things at them, Michael set a great example for everyone, teaching them the respect that our police officers deserve.

An invitation to San Clemente

Several months later, Michael received another contact from President Nixon. It was a personal invitation from the President to visit and spend the day with him at White House West, President Nixon's beachfront mansion in San Clemente.

The invitation was for Michael and one guest. Michael was excited by the prospect of taking a date with him to spend a day with the President. However, each time he asked a girl if she would like to spend the day with him and President Nixon in San Clemente, not one believed him.

Rather than go dateless, the next girl Michael asked was not told about President Nixon. Michael just asked one of the girls he knew if she would like to go down to his beach house at San Clemente for the day, and one young lady agreed.

On the day of the event, Michael and his date went to the Long Beach Airport, where the presidential helicopter awaited. The date was clueless as to what was special about "Army One," and the couple proceeded to fly down to San Clemente, where they landed on the heliport at the President's estate.

Still clueless, Michael and his date walked out of the helicopter just as the front door of the house opened. Richard Nixon walked out with his hand extended, warmly taking Michael's hand and saying, "Michael, it is so good to see you."

Cost of the helicopter ride: free.

Cost of suddenly realizing your date had invited you to spend the day with the President of the United States at his personal retreat: priceless.

In years to come, Nixon would be hounded by the Watergate scandal and abandoned by most of his friends, but not by Michael Dyer, who exchanged letters with the President until his death in 1994.