Gary Walters spent 37 years inside the White House and saw history unfold from only a few steps away. He began as a protective service officer for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Later, he joined the Usher’s Office in 1976 and became chief usher in 1986. He served Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush before retiring in 2007.
Walters now reflects on those years in his new book, White House Memories 1970–2007, releasing on December 5. He told audiences that politics never shaped his work. His mission, he said, was to serve the presidency and keep the residence running.
He recalled the chaos of Sept. 11. The staff evacuated, but Walters and a small team stayed. They cleared more than 160 tables from the South Lawn by hand so Marine One could land. He feared a hijacked plane might strike the White House. When he saw smoke rising from the Pentagon, he realised how close the danger felt.
He also shared lighter moments. He once saved a forgotten shipment of teddy bears and later used them to cheer President George H.W. Bush’s grandchildren. Another night, he stopped smoke from filling the Yellow Oval Room before a Reagan dinner.
Walters said the staff worked hard to keep every crisis invisible.
