South to Key West

President Eisenhower flew last week from Washington (19DEG) to Key West, Fla. (72DEG) for two weeks of work and exercise in the sun. He took with him warm Christmas memories: of a 40-lb. Kansas turkey and an 18-ft. Christmas tree, of his three grandchildren caroling O Come, All Ye Faithful for a crowd of press photographers; of his First Lady, in a red dress, showing off one of the presents she received before church on Christmas morning, a gold-star medallion inscribed on one side "To Mamie" and on the other "For never-failing help since 1916--in calm and in stress, in dark days and in bright--Love, Ike."

Starting at 9:15 a.m. in the Columbine III, the President reached Key West in 3 1/2 hours. He was accompanied by his brother, Dr. Milton Eisenhower, and Mamie Eisenhower would follow them down for New Year's weekend. He got a rousing welcome as he drove from Boca Chica Naval Air Station to the Key West U.S. Navy Base, passing along Roosevelt Boulevard, Truman Street (which sports a Margaret Truman Launderette) and by Eisenhower Drive, which had been known, until the night before his arrival, as North Beach Road. Not three hours afterwards, the President was happily whacking golf balls in 50-to 70-yd. pitch shots. Then he walked along the waterfront of the naval base, talking to his brother about the submarines, destroyers, and the varieties of palm trees they passed by. "Hope you feel better, Ike," one Navyman called out. "Thank you," the President replied. "I certainly should feel well in this climate."

After about 30 minutes of striding and strolling, 102 days after the heart attack that cast certainties into doubt the world over, the President turned to Dr. Howard Snyder, the man who had first tended him in Denver. "Can I walk some more?" the President hopefully wanted to know. "Sure," the doctor replied.

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