Ex-President Ford Gets Freedom Medal

President Clinton bestowed the nation’s highest civilian award on former President Ford at the White House and praised him for ending the “long national nightmare” of Watergate. Ford and seven others received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a ceremony that recognized the former president for steadying the nation when he took power 25 years ago this week after President Nixon resigned at the height of the Watergate scandal. Ford pardoned Nixon for any Watergate-related crimes.