- A Cold War Victory Celebration
After the Tokyo Olympics, Gary’s time was in high demand. He received an invitation from President and Mrs. Johnson to attend a luncheon at the White House on December 1, 1964 to honor and recognize the Tokyo Olympic Medal Winners.
Gary’s invitation telegram described how the USOC would reimburse for round trip economy class air plus twenty dollars per diem, plus maximum air insurance. Men were to wear Olympic parade jackets, dark trousers, dark shoes, white shirts, and Olympic blue ties. The medalists were to stay at the iconic Willard Hotel, which is very close to the White House.
Prior to the White House luncheon Department of Defense officials held a special ceremony in the Pentagon to honor members of the U. S. military that had won medals in Tokyo.
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| The Under Secretaryof the Army, Stephenn Ailes congratulates Sgt. Martin Gunnarsson during the Pentagon ceremony. Gunnarsson won the bronze medal in the 300m rifle event in Tokyo. Mr. Ailes was the President of the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice at the time. Photo credit: Gary Anderson |
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| The White House Photo credit: Gary Anderson |
President Johnson wanted members of the government who were well known athletes to attend. Guests included Supreme Court Associate Justice Byron White, who was an all-American football star at the University of Colorado; Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, who was a star guard on the 1946 Championship basketball team at the University of Arizona, and Stan Musial, longtime St. Louis Cardinals baseball star who was a special consultant to President Johnson for physical fitness.
At the time, it was common practice in many countries to not only honor Olympic winners, but even to award monetary gifts. In the USSR, for example, gold medal winners were given lifetime increases in their government stipends, better housing and television sets, perhaps even an automobile. Gold medals, of course, were worth a lot more than silver or bronze medals. Gary has often wondered how much he cost Russian shooters in government stipends; in all six of his Olympic and World Championship three-position rifle gold medal wins, the silver medalist was from the USSR.
Until this invitation by President Johnson, Olympic successes by American athletes had been taken for granted by our country’s political leadership. President Johnson said, “Like most Americans, the Johnson family followed the 1964 Olympics with avid interest and a warm sense of satisfaction.” The 1964 Olympics actually had exceptional political significance because they took place during the height of the Cold War. Since the 1952 Olympics, the USSR’s “big red sports machine” had dominated Olympic medal counts and certainly Olympic shooting, but that changed in 1964. In Tokyo, the USA Team finished first in the official medal table with 36 golds to 30 for the Soviet Union. Though never stated, this White House reception had the marks of a Cold War victory celebration.
USA Shooting Team contributions to that victorious medal count were a big triumph for the USA shooting program. USA shooters won two gold and six total medals in Tokyo in only six shooting events. From the 1920s to today, no USA Olympic Shooting Team has won more that six medals; the USA won six in 1984 when there were 11 events and six again in 2008 in Beijing when there were 15 events.
The 1964 White House luncheon was held in the State Dining Room for 108 Olympians and USOC officials, including USOC President Kenneth Wilson. Unfortunately, President Johnson was delayed due to an urgent meeting with his Cabinet and Ambassador Maxwell D. Taylor over the crisis in Viet Nam.
President Johnson arrived at 3pm, and said, “I haven’t had my lunch yet, but I’m so proud of you that I’d like to shake the hand of everyone here.” In the receiving line with the President were Mrs. Johnson and their daughter Luci as well as Vice President Hubert Humphrey.
In his remarks at lunch, President Johnson said to the Olympians, “You demonstrated winning without strutting and loosing without whimpering…it is such a privilege to have you here in the first house of the land. It is equally satisfying to have in this house some of the first of the land.”
