Turkey - To eat or to pardon?

United States Presidents receive numerous gifts during their time at the White House, including live animals. John Quincy Adams received an alligator; Richard Nixon, two giant pandas; Theodore Roosevelt a zebra and a lion; George H. W. Bush a Komodo dragon and Ronald Reagan a white horse. On a more mundane level, turkeys are popular gifts, especially during holidays.

Originally, presidential gifted turkeys were intended, and accepted, as the showpiece main dish for a holiday meal. That is, until young Tad Lincoln made a pet out of the one intended for Christmas dinner. Tad named his pet Jack and reportedly led him around on a leash. Then he begged his dad to spare the turkey, which Abraham Lincoln, being a compassionate president, did. Subsequent presidents, however, continued to eat their turkeys.

About 1870 a Rhode Island poultry dealer named Horace Vose began a personal tradition of sending a fat turkey to the White House each year for Thanksgiving dinner. The tradition apparently died with him in 1913 but in 1946 the National Turkey Federation and the Poultry and Egg National Board reinstituted the holiday ritual. They started with gifting a 42-pound tom to President Harry Truman for Christmas. The president rewarded the gift givers with a photo op of himself and the featured turkey. The turkey nevertheless appeared later as the plucked and roasted guest of honor at the holiday dinner.

It was not until 1963 that another compassionate president took pity on a turkey. Though the 55-pound gift wore a sign around its neck reading, "Good Eating, Mr. President!" John F. Kennedy patted it benevolently on the head (at least figuratively) and said, "We'll let this one grow." The turkey went back to the farm where it was raised.

Richard Nixon sometimes spared, sometimes ate his turkeys. President Jimmy Carter wanted nothing to do with the photo op tradition. Reportedly, First Lady Roslyn Carter saw to it the creatures ended up at petting zoos.

Ronald Reagan embraced the custom and all its publicity, unofficially calling his 1987 turkey Charlie and the 1988 one Woody. Reagan was the first to use the word "pardon," though he did so in jest. The Iran-Contra affair was on the minds of all the press reporters and they wanted to know whether the president planned to pardon Oliver North who had been implicated in the scandal. Reagan pointed to the 55-pound Charlie and said, "I'll pardon him."

George H. W. Bush was the first to connect the freeing of the turkey to the president's constitutionally granted right to pardon a federal offender. Though it is not clear exactly what offense the turkey had committed, President Bush loudly proclaimed, "Let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone's dinner table... He's granted a presidential pardon."

The pardoned turkey, and his successors for the next 15 years, were sent to Frying Pan Park in Herndon, Virginia. Despite its frightening name, no actual frying pan threatened the turkeys who lived out their short lives as distinguished residents of the demonstration farm on the property.

The show turkey of 1998, perhaps aware that President Bill Clinton had lied about the Monica Lewinski affair, seemed uncertain whether he could trust the president's words of pardon. He jumped down and attempted to escape but his handler retrieved him and forced him to sit still for Clinton's pardon. The following year the Thanksgiving bird was officially named Harry. Perhaps having a name convinced him he had a future. At any rate, he made no move to escape.

By the time George W. Bush became Turkey Pardoner-in-Chief, it was deemed an alternate should accompany the First Turkey in case of illness (or worse). President Bush pardoned a flock of turkeys during his span in office. The 2001 birds, Liberty and his back-up Freedom, derived their names from the trauma of 9/11. Katie, the first female turkey ever pardoned, came with her male escort Zack. The 2003 birds Stars and understudy Stripes were followed by Biscuits and Gravy.

Marshmallow and Yam broke the tradition of retiring at Frying Pan Farm. They did what every winning athlete aspires to – enjoyed an all-expense paid trip to Disneyland where Marshmallow served as honorary Grand Marshall of the Thanksgiving Parade. Yam, in his role as backup, accompanied his more famous mate. Flyer and Fryer, and then May and Flower followed in their predecessors' bird tracks, strutting their stuff at either Disneyland or Disney World.

The wisdom of including a backup became evident in 2008 when First Bird Pecan fell ill the night before the pardoning ceremony. Vice Bird Pumpkin swaggered in without missing a beat.

Courage and Carolina (raised in North Carolina) were the first recipients of President Obama's pardons. The following year Disneyland changed its program theme and Apple and Cider lost their park privileges. They were sent instead to George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens where they were welcomed by an appreciative crowd and transported via horse drawn carriage to the front of the mansion. Liberty and Peace received the same warm welcome.

In 2012, however, Cobbler and Gobbler's pardons did not come early enough and they were unceremoniously spirited onto the estate grounds in the dark of night. They were, however, allowed to strut their stuff during "Christmas at Mount Vernon" festivities.

President Obama was in a lighthearted mood in 2013 as he spoke a few words before pardoning Popcorn and Caramel. "Generally speaking," the president said, "Thanksgiving is a bad day to be a turkey. Eighty turkeys on John's [John Burkel, Minnesota turkey farmer] farm competed for the chance to make it to the White House and stay off the Thanksgiving table. It was quite literally the hunger games. After weeks of vocal practice and prepping for the cameras, the two tributes, Carmel and Popcorn went head to head to compete for America's vote as Top Gobbler."

Popcorn won the vote but both birds were pardoned. And there is a lot of truth behind the president's words. Chosen turkeys like Popcorn and Caramel and their successors Cheese and Mac and Abe and Honest are chosen not only for their looks but also for their temperament. They undergo training to acclimate them to large crowds and camera flashbulbs.

President Obama's last pardoned celebrities Tater and Tot as well as President Trump's pardonees Drumsticks and Wishbone, Peas and Carrots and Butter and Bread all stayed at the ritzy Willard InterContinental hotel in Washington D.C. prior to their pardoning ceremonies. At $267.75 per night, (courtesy of the National Turkey Federation) the turkeys luxuriated in a deluxe two-bedroom room with pine-shaving covering the floor to make the superstars feel more at home. Following their pardons and celeb appearances, this latest set of turkeys retired to Gobblers Rest at Virginia Tech where, between public appearances, they will be cared for by veterinarians and veterinary students in the Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences.

The White House is scheduled to hold its annual turkey pardoning ceremony Tuesday, Nov. 24. President Donald Trump will reportedly issue a formal pardon to two Iowa turkeys. According to a senior White House official, the masked and socially distanced audience will be smaller this year. Following Tuesday's ceremony, the turkeys will live out their lives at Iowa State University's Poultry Science Farm .

 

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