PRESIDENTIAL SITES Quarterly Feature
The President’s Retreat at CAMP DAVID
LEFT AND ABOVE: GETTY IMAGES
m at t h ew w endel
A short trip from the White House by Marine One, Camp David, the secluded compound in the Maryland mountains, proved a fitting retreat for President George W. Bush and his advisers as they continued their postSeptember 11 meetings over the weekend of September 15, 2001. Matthew Wendel, senior advance representative in the Office of Presidential Advance and personal chef and personal assistant to the president, evacuated the White House with his colleagues on the morning of September 11. He later prepared meals at Camp David for President Bush with the goal of providing some comfort through food during the weekend meetings. The account that follows is Matthew Wendel’s firsthand experience of serving the president at this historic presidential site.
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