Chapter 10
At Vandenberg Air Force Base, crowds have formed at the gate. Security Forces stand guard and do not permit entry. Reporters shout that they want to interview the President, but their demands fall on deaf ears.
Marine One circles the base and approaches the helipad from the west, flying over the ocean. The President stares out of his window at the growing mass of people crowded at the base’s perimeter. He glances over at his Secret Service team, and they shake their heads, no, anticipating his request to speak to the crowd. As he exits the chopper, he hears the shouting and mutters, “unbelievable.”
The Commander welcomes the President with a formal salute and then explains, “We’ll go to my office where it’s quiet.”
The driver takes them past the chaotic gathering and to the
