Public May View Nixon Casket Today

Today is the day ordinary people can pay respects to the 37th U.S. President.

Attendance at Richard Nixon’s funeral on Wednesday is by invitation only, so the public’s opportunity to participate comes during a 20-hour viewing at Nixon’s library beginning this afternoon.

Organizers expect a crowd, but everybody is welcome.

Visitors are invited to start gathering at noon outside the front steps of the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace at 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., between Richfield Road and Lakeview Avenue.

The viewing will last from 3 p.m. today until 11 a.m. Wednesday, and library staff members expect a steady stream of visitors through the night. Each person will be allowed to walk through the lobby and around Nixon’s closed casket, and will receive a printed thank-you card from the Nixon family.

Library spokesman Kevin Cartwright said visitors will not be allowed to pause for long at the casket, so that more people may pay their respects. He suggested a late-night visit to beat the crowd.

To get to the library, take either the Orange Freeway to Yorba Linda Boulevard east, or the Riverside Freeway to Imperial Highway to Yorba Linda Boulevard west.

Nixon’s body is scheduled to arrive at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station at 12:35 p.m. today from New York and will be transported to the library via motorcade. After a small ceremony at El Toro, California Highway Patrol officers will lead Nixon’s hearse and limousines carrying family members to the library.

The planned route for the motorcade is north on the Santa Ana Freeway to the Costa Mesa Freeway north to the Riverside Freeway east, then north on Imperial Highway--a portion of which is also called the Richard M. Nixon Freeway. From Imperial, the motorcade will turn left on Yorba Linda Boulevard, heading west, and then enter the library grounds.

Freeways and streets will be open as the motorcade passes, but police do not want spectators to line the route.

“They can watch it if they happen to be there, but we don’t want to advertise,” said CHP Sgt. Ted Jones.

Nixon’s body is expected to arrive at the library about 1:45 p.m.

The only street that will be blocked off today is a tiny stretch of Yorba Linda Boulevard, between Eureka and Mountain View avenues, directly in front of the library entrance.

Since the library’s parking lot will probably be full, visitors are encouraged to seek alternatives. On-street parking is permitted in most of the neighborhood. There are also several public lots in the area that might have space:

* The post office at Eureka Avenue and Lemon Drive, around the corner from the library. It will be open today but closed Wednesday.

* Yorba Linda Middle School at 4777 Casa Loma Ave, less than half a mile from the library (walk south on Casa Loma then turn left, heading east on Yorba Linda). Schools throughout the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District will be closed Wednesday.

* Packing House, a shopping center at Imperial Highway and Yorba Linda Boulevard, less than half a mile east of the library.

The Orange County Transportation Authority’s bus route No. 26 runs east and west along Yorba Linda Boulevard, but today and Wednesday the buses will detour around the library. For the viewing, riders can get off at Lakeview Avenue and Yorba Linda Boulevard, about half a mile east of the library. The one-way fare is $1.

On Wednesday, the day of the funeral, logistics are more complicated.

The entire neighborhood surrounding the library will be closed to the public from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, with no vehicle or pedestrian traffic allowed in the triangle formed by Yorba Linda Boulevard, Valley View Avenue and Imperial Highway. Valley View and Imperial will be open to cars, but that stretch of Yorba Linda will not.

Funeral parking for invited guests will be available at Cal State Fullerton, with shuttle buses to the library.

“Only invited and ticketed guests will be allowed in the library area. We will not allow people to sit on rooftops or anything like that. Businesses have been informed that they will effectively be closed for the day,” Brea Officer Daniel Moon said.

“We will try to work with the residents of the area so they can get into their homes, and get out in the case of emergency, but we’re just encouraging them to go somewhere else,” Moon said. “There is no public access to the funeral services at all.”

Library staffers suggest that people stay home and watch the funeral on television; all three major networks, as well as CNN, are planning live coverage.

Times staff writers David Reyes and Rebecca Trounson contributed to this report.

Nixon’s Final Homecoming

The public will be admitted to the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace today to pay respects to Richard Nixon, who died Friday in New York. Funeral services for family and invited guests will be held Wednesday.

1. Arrival Ceremony at El Toro

The body will arrive at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station at about 12:35 p.m. today for a private ceremony. How the ceremony will unfold:

Spirit of ’76 plane

Pallbearers

Family

Next of kin

Honor guard

Clergy

Limousine

Hearse

Motorcade

Restricted area

Media

Casket

Band

Flag bearers

Medical vehicle

2. Likely Motorcade Route

Traffic Patterns: Police say some streets around the library will be closed at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Where you will not be able to drive:

3. Public Viewing Today

The body of Nixon, in a closed casket, will lie in state beginning at 3 p.m. today. Public viewing will continue until 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Casket

National color guard

Personal color guard

Commander of relief

Sentinal

Public viewing route

Media

Reception desk

Casket to be taken to burial site Wednesday

4. Private Funeral Services

About 2,500 people are invited to the private funeral service at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the east end of the library parking lot. The service is expected to last 45 to 55 minutes.

Officiant: The Rev. Billy Graham

Eulogists: President Clinton, Sen. Robert Dole of Kansas, Gov. Pete Wilson of California, and former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger

Music: U.S. Navy Choir and Orchestra

Interment: Service for family only immediately after funeral

Program of Songs and Eulogies

Guests will remain in their seats and listen to the audio portion of the committal, which will be attended by family only. “Victory at Sea;” “Ruffles and Flourishes;” “Hail to the Chief;” “America;” Rev. Billy Graham, officiant: “Battle Hymn of the Republic;” Secretary Henry A. Kissinger; Sen. Robert Dole; A medley of American songs; Gov. Pete Wilson; President Clinton; “Eternal Father Strong to Save;” Sermon by Rev. Billy Graham; “America the Beautiful;” “Ruffles and Flourishes;” “The Star-Spangled Banner;” Committal

Local Closures

Closed Wednesday: Federal offices, post offices, most stock brokerages, Yorba Linda City offices and Imperial Highway branch of Capital Bank in Yorba Linda closed beginning at noon.

School closing: All 28 schools in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, plus six of district’s 18 child-care centers.

Closed center: Where children should go Mable Paine: Brookhaven Center, 1851 N. Brookhaven Ave., Placentia Glen Knoll: Fairmont Center, 5241 Fairmont Blvd., Yorba Linda Rose Drive: Golden Child Center, 740 E. Golden Ave., Placentia Rio Vista & Van Buren: Tynes Center, 735 Stanford Drive, Placentia Glenview: Woodsboro, 7575 Woodsboro Ave., Anaheim Fast Facts

Flowers: Yorba Linda Flowers has received hundreds of orders for floral arrangements. Orders have come from as far away as Japan, Holland and England.

Hotels: At least 400 rooms have been reserved at the Anaheim Marriott, Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim Hilton and Towers, Hyatt Regency Irvine, Costa Mesa Marriott Suites, and Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach. As of Monday, more than 200 were filled.

Limousines: 50 limousines have been reserved to transport out-of-town funeral guests.

Dignitaries: About 30 countries had indicated they would send representatives. All four surviving ex-Presidents will attend.

Television: Three major networks plus PBS, CNN and C-SPAN will provide live funeral coverage Wednesday.

Sources: Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace, El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, Brea Police Department, Orange County Office of Protocol, Yorba Linda Flowers

Researched by CAROLINE LEMKE / Los Angeles Times