JACKSON MEN DRIVE PRESIDENTIAL PRESS VANS DURING RECENT VISIT FROM CAPE TO MEMPHIS

President Clinton speaks in Dyersburg, Tenn. A Washington Post photographer snapped this shot with Whitehead's camera.

Whithead was a driver for the jump ahead team. This is a shot he took of the president's bus en route from Cape to Memphis.

Gary Whitehead and Bennie Hinton got the opportunity of a lifetime during the recent presidential visit to Cape Girardeau.

They got to drive the press vans from Cape to Memphis.

Gary Whitehead said he got the job from his brother's grandson who works for the Democratic Party of Missouri.

Whitehead was asked if he was interested in driving and he jumped at the opportunity.

Whitehead and Hinton were a part of the Jump ahead Team. They kept the press in front of the motorcade and would stop along the route at good vantage points for pictures. Then after the motorcade would pass they would have to catch up with it and then get ahead of it.

There were five vehicles in the Jump ahead Team. Whitehead drove press van #2 and Hinton drove press van #3.

There was a police escort with the group of vans and also one Secret Service agent.

"The security surrounding the president was unbelievable," Whitehead said.

"It was something, every side road was blocked by highway patrol along the route," he added.

Security was also tight for the drivers.

"We had to be escorted to the bathroom," Whitehead said.

"It was just as tough to get out of secured areas as it was to get into them."

"I saw more police officers and highway patrol from Cape to Memphis than I'll ever see in my life," Whitehead added.

A highlight for Whitehead was when he had his picture taken with the president next to Air Force One at the Memphis Airport.

Whitehead said that the Jump ahead Team almost missed their chance because they were late getting to the airport.

Luckily for Whitehead and the rest of the drivers, their Secret Service escort got them through the security lines and got them pictures with the president.

"You never thought you'd be able to get that close to the most powerful man in the world," Whitehead said.

Whitehead said it was also very interesting to be with members of the press from around the country and to meet some members of the White House staff.

"It was a once in a lifetime experience, I wouldn't take anything for it," Whitehead said.

Whitehead said that the drivers met at Holiday Inn in Cape at 9 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 30. They waited for a security check of the vans and then they went to the airport to pick up the members of the press.

From the airport they went to Capaha Park for the planned rally and then the next stop was just across the bridge in Illinois so that the press could take shots of the buses crossing the bridge and on they went to Memphis making the scheduled stops and many unscheduled stops.