announcer: you're watching "american history tv." 48 hours of american history on c-span 3. on "american history tv." between 1964 and 1969, the white house naval photographic unit created monthly film reports on the activities of president johnson. next, a report from 50 years ago, july 1966. the half hour program begins with president johnson relaxing at his ranch in texas for the independence day holiday.

>> in 1908, few people outside of texas hill country could tell was the pedernales river located. but a baby was born to sam and rebecca johnson on the banks of that river. a proud father who proclaimed a united states senator was born today, my grandson. the old gentleman was partly right but he set his sights too low. for the son of sam and rebecca johnson, a half century later visits the same house on the banks of the pedernales not as senator but as president of the united states.

here across the hill country he rests for a few days and quietly observes the 190th anniversary of the signing of the declaration of independence. he would unwind but not completely. cause as he celebrates, he still bears the burden of presidency. 19 overage americans were entitled to free medical care which as critic predicted would bring chaos. farmers blast i have yet unanimous targets on the other side of the world. it was characteristics of his capacity to absorb many detailed facts that as he received reports on the result of the air strikes he also wanted to know

how many hospital beds would be available in mississippi for medicare patients. but in spite of the issues facing him, there would be time during those first few days of summer to involve himself with the work of his ranch and to taken joyment from the land.

>> in july, it was a relaxed and suntanned lynn bonn johnson during his 66th news conference. he prefaced his press conference with a barbecue on the front lawn.

>> his opening remarks emphasize the other war in i have yet unanimous, the attack on literacy, poverty and disease. this would be part of a theme that the president would hammer home to the people throughout the summer in an exhaustive effort to make sure every american knows exactly what his government is trying to do in vietnam. earlier in the year, the president had established an emergency board to investigate and report upon a dispute between five major airline carriers and their machinists. on june 7, the president transmitted the report to both parties strongly recommending that they celt their differences within the report's framework.

after 30 days of negotiations the machinists struck. as the president's statement reflected his concern was teletyped from press headquarters from san antonio, texas, an empty chair in the white house confirmed that the attempts to find slougses and the final answers continue on a 24-hour basis no matter where the chief executive might be. this has been made possible through the increased mobility afforded the man who holds the helm. when he travels, the president virtually takes the white house with him. an elaborate communication system keeps him in constant touch with any of the selected advisors and department heads. the first family returns and

would conduct business from the main store on 1600 pennsylvania avenue. for his daughter, lucy and her fiance pat nugent, it would be e beginning of a number of prenuptial ceremonies ranging om intimate showers to receptions. he would explain and define his administrations policies and principally the nation's current role in the pacific. but first, there was a bit of . siness at the pentagon on 12, july, the president personally commended 12 trimmed $officials ho -- who trimmed $34 million

during the past fiscal year. >> the report ha that you have achieved in your part of the government's cost production program in my judgment is without equal. and every department of this government today is attempting to imitate or to emulate what you have done and this record that you and your family can be very proud of. if i would leave no other thought this morning than this one, i would say that every person within the sound of my voice and every employee of the defense department in uniform and out, civilian or military can take great pride in sing, i was a part of the department of defense in the 1960's, and that is a record that you can point to with pride and that your children and grandchildren will take great pride in.

[applause] >> the same day the president was scheduled to speak of the alumni council in west sulfur springs, west virginia. but his flight was cancelled because of weather. from the white house theater on nationwide television, he delivered his address to the council laying out the essentials for a lasting peace not only in vietnam but throughout the entire asian community. and again, the president stressed the importance of building political and economic strength among those nations as one of the foundations for a lasting peace.

>> the oceanographer is the latest deep sea ship lending his perm support as well as official impetus to the advancement of marine biology, the president attended the commission and at the same time invited seven nations including the soviet union to share in the cruise of the oceanographer. the man who sailed before the mass has come a long way in eir quest for better working conditions but it's doubtful that elaborate creations like this will grace many tables on the oceanographer's maiden voyage. but on the papier mache lie as serious commit development the united states to a better understanding of the sea that divides and yet unites mankind. for it's here that both food and

mineral lies in waiting for the science technology that will ultimately conduct the harvest. part of that technology in the gleaming white heart of the oceanographer will soon set sail in the ever-growing fleet of 100 ederal research vessels. one of the able supporters of united states policy in southeast asia partner in the development programs for the peoples of the pacific, prime minister holt of australia, returns to the white house as ally, as friend. he would during the toast of the luncheon the following day symbolically refer to his friendship with the united states as one famous the esop fable, the lion and the mouse. only in his case would be more accurate to describe it as the lion and the kangaroo.

the secretary of the navy's yot se coy yeah is a water-borne retreat. coy yeah y yeah -- se where peace and relax vacation he order of the day. >> discussions will continue, the talks informal. the president repeated to the prime minister the ideas he

recently conveyed to america of he obligations in the pacific. on july 15, william j. hopkins was honored by d president for 23 years of the highest possible service as executive clerk of the white house. 23 years that spanned the new deal, the fair deal, the new rontier and the great society. ♪ >> this is a profoundly symbolic

occasion for in honoring mr. hopkins, we also honor the whole core of dedicated civil servants of which he is so outstanding an example. i have said on many occasions that i believe our country has developed a professional civil service in the history of the world. and as president, i have not merely expressed that opinion as idle words, i have acted upon. >> three days later the president would act on this conviction. on 18 of july he put his pen to the sal rip and fringe benefits act of 1966 observing that the country was in an economic prosperity unequal in its history. on the lighter side of the white house scene lucy was entertained by the core of the press. grateful for many prenuptial

interviews and perhaps to make up for the many moments of tolen privacy, they had a skit for the bride and her mother. one news item that would remain private, however, was the location of the honeymoon. lucy refused to disclose the secret location but let -- offered to do a dart do her talking to her. if it was accurate, only the first family knew. mrs. johnson relieved the president of any responsibility in handling the many details of the wedding now soon approaching. and in a press conference the following day the president took refuge in this fact. fairchild newspapers found their press credentials to cover the wedding withdrawn because they had ignored a release date on a

news story concerning lucy's bridal gown. challenging the president was denying freedom to the press. the fairchild representative was a positive span on this issue. >> but if i could have your permission to just step aside -- [laughter] n any of the detail of wedding arrangements, i would -- i would like very much to do so. thank you very much. >> there were other issues during the month of july, however on which the president had no prerug active to step aside -- prerogative to step aside. he met with leaders to discuss the appropriations increases on the budget. having just wrapped up the fiscal year with the lowest deficit since 1960, in spipet of him ever increasing the cost of war, the president was determined to keep federal spending in the upcoming months

in line. knowing that the budget can be a delicately balanced seesaw the chief executive discouraged any additional add-ons in an effort increases line on being felt in the economy. the president as commander in chief of the armed forces had repeatedly expressed his pride in the men who were actively serving in southeast asia. and now without publicity orphan fair, he tried to convey this feeling to some of the men who had fought in vietnam and who would come back home bearing the physical scars of war. on this impromptu boarding party were 500 enlisted men most of

them wounded. the secretary of defense had sponsored this summer outing, inviting soldiers, sailors and marine from all of the area service hospitals. he could be expected to weigh seriously the cost of war in terms of its toll on human life came reassuring words and full support for the job the p was trying to. do -- the job the president was rying to do. it was late afternoon on the 20th of july when the president speaking for the entire nation said goodbye to 3,000 exchange

students who had completed a year of study in the united tates. >> when countries speak of sending volunteers into other land, let them be sent to the real battlefield. the battlefields of poverty and ignorance and disease and suffering. let them come bearing hope and not arms. let them cost the frontiers and the bright light of day and knock down the jungle trails in the dark of night. let them volunteer to enlarge the lives of their neighbors, not to take the lives of anyone. this is the kind of volunteer that america understands. it's the only kind that the world needs, i want. and i promise you that wherever such a volunteer may walk, he

will find an american among the first to give him welcome and to take his hand and to join nymore his work for peace.

>> the arrival of the prime prompted the yana president to talk about other problems it faced when it too declared its independence some years earlier. >> we devoted the first decades to mastering the frontier of our rivers and our forest, of our plains and our mountains. and then next, we tackled the frontier of industrial development. today, we are now pushing forward the frontiers of human aspirations and the needs of human kind. we're committed to rebuilding our blighted cities and preserving the beauty of our land and our landscape. and while doing all of this at home, we will never falter in our commitment overseas to the defense of freedom and in support of economic development. >> in these opening remarks to

the prime minister, the president had summed up in a few words his entire domestic program and his administration's foreign policy. but now he would take these few words and expand them to millions of america through indiana, illinois and kentucky. although referred to as a nonpolitical trip with all political leaders invited to come along, no one can deny the anticipated political benefits. the president's cross-country tour would be a benefit to democratic freshman coming up for election. > the evidence is clear, the guerilla war is inspired. it was organized.

it was directed in hanoy. and it is today being supplied from there. if the american people need a reminder of the kind of enemy they can hear it over your radio, read it on your newspaper, where the vietcon attack the united states navy hospital. at least three of our men who were patients in that hospital were injured. and that is the typical of the way the communist fight because they cannot hope to win on the battlefield, they rely on terror and on attacks against wounded and the innocent. there are people who deny air strikes against oil depots in north vietnam, in my own country. but they remain strangely silent when the communist in the south turn their mortars on an

american opt or blow a bus load of farmers or murder the mayor of a vietnamese town. i just wish they would ask themselves if their standard of judgment is really fair. >> fort campbell, connecticut home of the screaming eagles, the 101st airborne, men all too familiar with the red mud of vietnam.

>> the president signed into law the bill establishing the george rogers clark national historical park, the first park in the national system come men rating the open of the northwest territory. >> we shall continue to try to

persuade hanoi that we had rather talked than fight. but i pledge you too that we shall continue. if they refuse to negotiate, to make them pay a high price for their warfare in the south on south vietnam and on or men. [applause] awarding a beautification, the president concluded his world wind tour of the three simple states. the united states was born in strife and it was nurtured in hardship. we grew and we prospered because we weren't afraid of frontiers. but we always looked towards those far away horizons. and we have not come this long distance in history because we

ere very weak or frightened or a fearful or a timid people. when america loses its commitment to freedom, that is the day that america will begin to die. and the safeties that i have seen and the states that i have visited today have told me that his will never be. >> four days later, the president congratulated two american who is were living examples of this philosophy, men who were not afraid of frontiers and who in pursuit of their every day occupation looked toward far away horizons on a daily basis. colonel robert l. stevens and walter f. daniel claimed new world speed and altitude record for the united states air force.

any demonstrator questioning america's resolve might receive a surprising answer from a group of junior high school students pulling dimes and nickels, they read billboards and submitted petitions for a new postage stamp honoring the servicemen. the stamp soon goes on sale. first customer, the white house. the month of july was running out and on the 29th so it appeared was the influence power and economy of great britain. been struck by the worst finding crisis, and her military commitments in the far east and in germany economically tenuous, the

>> the meeting was a short one by anyone's standards, which only furthered the evidence that ties continued to be strong and the dialogues fruitful. through her prime minister, great britain confirmed her atlantic loyalties and the pacific ones as well and vowed that the british economy would be strengthened. >> you and i have many things in common, mr. prime minister. one of course is politics and election results. including the very difficult problem that goes with an enlarged majority. another is economics, including that most fat -- fascinating and most unfortunately named subjected, the balance of payments. the third, mr. prime minister, is our mutual fascination with transportation. today i'm thinking in particular of shims and airplane strikes. >> the airplanes were still on the ground and had been since 7 july. in a final effort to provide a

setting whereby the bargainers could effect an agreement, the president called both sides to the white house. he expressed admiration for their efforts but pointed out that there were other people eager for a settlement and these people ranged from the wives of workers to even presidents. at 9:52 that night in a nationwide broadcast from the white house, the president introduced william j. kurtin, the chief negotiator for the airlines and mr. william j. simon of the machinists' union, to the people of the united states, who were still waiting anxiously to become airborne. a settlement through collective bargaining agreement had been reached. sy miller ler -- felt gratified that an

agreement had been reached. but the machinists' union rejected the settlement and the engines of five major airlines across the country remained old. > next on american history tv, abbi gary zola talks about his book, "we called him rabbi abraham -- lincoln and american jewry, a documentary history". zola explores lincoln's relationship with prominent jews and the jewish community's involvement with civil war politics. the national archives hosted his 90-minute event. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable sait