In an episode of “Law and Order,” the late actor and U.S. Senator Fred Thompson let his fellow New York prosecutors know that if it weren't for Osama bin Laden, September 11 would properly be remembered as this iconic southerner's birthday.
On the day of his funeral, the state of Alabama came to a complete stop. Three churches in Tuscaloosa filled to capacity for the services. Thousands of cars and trucks pulled to the side of I-20/59 as the funeral procession moved to its final destination in Birmingham: Elmwood Cemetery.
News accounts estimated that nearly 250,000 Alabama residents lined roads and overpasses along the 55-mile route—approximately 12 percent of Alabama's total state population—to pay their final respects.
Was it a former president they were honoring? A movie star? It was someone far more important.
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