It was a life-changing experience for Lake Orion resident Dave Stuursma.
When President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush visited the Detroit area on Aug. 30-31, Stuursma was given the opportunity to be a part of the presidential motorcade that transported the President and First Lady, along with their support staff, to and from Detroit Metro Airport, the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Dearborn and the rally in Taylor.
‘There were six, 15-passenger vans they needed drivers for and I drove one of them,? said Stuursma, creative director for Tatum Studios in Lake Orion. ‘I drove Laura Bush’s personal assistant and the press secretary for the reelection committee. They were a lot of fun.?
Stuursma was offered the job by a friend, Jim Krol, representative of the Michigan branch of the Committee to Re-Elect George Bush. Drivers in the motorcade underwent background checks before being given the OK for the job, which last from about noon on Monday until Tuesday morning.
?(Krol) rounds up a bunch of volunteers whenever Bush is in town,? said Stuursma, who is also a writer, and operates Generations Publishing.
‘We had six volunteers driving the vans, some with press and others with VIPs,? he said. ‘We drove them from the airport to the Ritz Carlton and then to the rally in Taylor.?
Stuursma said President Bush’s traveling habits are ‘like a finely oiled machine.?
‘It felt like I was following the most powerful man in the world,? he said. ‘It was also everyone around him, he has some really impressive people that have their acts together.
‘The person with the most power in the world should have people like that around him, and for a couple of hours I got to be one of them,? said Stuursma.
The police closed portions of 94 and other roads while the President was traveling.
‘I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a motorcade before,? said Stuursma. ‘They travel with two limos, one for the President and the other for support. The doors are bulletproof, they must be about five inches thick.
‘There was a cop at every intersection, restaurant and drive-in…Just about everywhere except someone’s driveway,? he said. ‘We drove right onto the runways at the airport.?
As the motorcade passed on the way to the rally, Stuursma said he saw people cheering and waving, and some with protest signs too.
‘People lined the streets…It was really patriotic to see people get out and honor the President as he drove by,? he said.
Stuursma said he wasn’t really into politics before, but if he had experienced something like this as a young boy his life might have taken another direction.
‘It was that powerful of an experience,? he said. ‘I have a new respect for what the President has to go through day in and day out.?