50SW Lady Bird Johnson / First Lady

ROADTRIP!!!!!!  travel the highways and byways of this great land of ours so she can see the results of the beautification programs she so passionately developed

A sub-species within a collection of about 60 trackables being released in my cache:  GC46C66   Bluebirds Fly.

This group is based on an “Angry Birds Star Wars” collection.  These reflect a different type of “star wars”.  Each is based on “star” power of performers, writers, famed or infamous personalities, etc.  Criteria for selection of the honoree – simply a “bird” connected name or title.  ­­
 
Hope you recognize some of these.  Perhaps you’ll have recollections of your own or just be introduced to an oldie but goodie from the star power tribute.  Enjoy!
 
*** Lady Bird Johnson, First Lady ***
born:  Claudia Alta Taylor
22 December 1912-11 July 2007
 
Claudia Alta Taylor was born on an antebellum plantation mansion on the border of Texas and Louisiana.  Her father was a sharecropper’s son who became a wealthy businessman.  Her eccentric mother was described as being in poor emotional and physical health.  She died from complications of a miscarriage caused by falling down the stairs.  Claudia, already nicknamed “Lady Bird”, was 5 years old.
 
Lady Bird grew up in a variety of homes (of relatives), becoming a confident well-educated lady. Lady Bird was a shy and quiet girl who spent a lot of time alone, outdoors.  She loved walking, fishing and swimming, and developed a true passion for the environment.  Later, as First Lady, she was involved in programs to beautify Washington, and later the roadsides of highways across the United States.
 
Education was important to Lady Bird.  She attended college, which was a bit unusual for women of her times.  She became a shrewd investor, turning a modest inheritance into a fortune.  She married Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1934, and used part of her inheritance to bankroll his first campaign.
 
Lady Bird was a strong influence on the role of First and Second Lady in the White House.  In 1977 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Gerald Ford.  The citation for her medal read:
 
"One of America's great First Ladies, she claimed her own place in the hearts and history of the American people. In councils of power or in homes of the poor, she made government human with her unique compassion and her grace, warmth and wisdom. Her leadership transformed the American landscape and preserved its natural beauty as a national treasure."
 
A majestic grove of coastal redwoods, named in her honor by President Nixon in 1969, is located just north of Orick, California. "Lady Bird Johnson Grove" is part of Redwood National Park.
 
This abbreviated write-up does not do justice to our Nation’s First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson.  Her life story, and her noteworthy involvement in serving this nation is quite interesting.