Larry Buendorf

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name = Larry Buendorf
residence = Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
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birth_date = November, 1947
birth_place = Wells, Minnesota, USA
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occupation = Chief Security Officer, U.S. Olympic Committee, formerly Secret Service Agent
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Larry Buendorf (born November 1937) is the Chief Security Officer of the United States Olympic Committee. He is a former U.S. Navy pilot and Secret Service agent. He is best known for his successful intervention during an assassination attempt on then United States President Gerald Ford in 1975.

Early life and Navy service

Buendorf was born in Wells, Minnesota, son of Ruby and Merle Buendorf. [ [http://learfieldcreative.typepad.com/brownfield/2006/12/memories_of_a_p.html Brownfield: Memories of a president ] ] Buendorf graduated from Wells High School in Minnesota in 1965. He received a Bachelor of Science http://www.usocpressbox.org/usoc/pressbox.nsf/aea59907dd8cbb298725725f00604b8c/646f102f943a0ff38725726b005946d5/$FILE/Buendorf,%20Larry.pdf] degree in business from Mankato State University in 1969. After service in the United States Navy as a pilot, he joined the Secret Service in 1970, where he was employed for 22 years. [http://www.mnsu.edu/news/read.php?id=old-1167751628 Alum Larry Buendorf saved President Ford's life in 1975 — Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU) – 2007-01-02 ] ]

Secret Service career

Buendorf was assigned to the Secret Service Office Chicago Field Office (1970-1972), Presidential Protective Division (1972-1977) and Denver Field Office (1977-1982). He was Special Agent in Charge, Omaha Field Office (1982-1983). Later, from 1983-1993, he was Special Agent in Charge of the Protective Division and, once again, assigned to protect President Gerald Ford and Mrs. Ford.

Assassination attempt on U.S. President Gerald Ford

On September 5, 1975, President Gerald Ford, who had just given a speech at the California State Building in Sacramento, walked across a park where a crowd had gathered. [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1026_041026_tv_secret_service2_2.html Election Is Crunch Time for U.S. Secret Service ] ] A woman in a red dress, who later was identified as Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, was seen following Ford while he was shaking hands. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/oconnor/2004-05-14-oconnor_x.htm USATODAY.com - Experience on security's front lines ] ] Upon seeing a pistol, Secret Service Special Agent Larry Buendorf stepped in front of Ford. Buendorf yelled "Gun!", pulled the gun away and wrestled the woman to the ground, in the process slightly injuring his thumb and hand while placing the webbing of his thumb between the gun's firing hammer and the body of the gun.

For his role in preventing the assassination attempt on President Ford, Buendorf was awarded the U.S. Treasury Meritorious Service Award and the United States Secret Service Valor Award.

During the years after the assassination attempt, Buendorf and President Ford maintained telephone contact every year on the September 5th anniversary of the attack. He has also visited the former President and skied with him on occasion. [ [http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/local_story_001231121.html The Free Press, Mankato, MN - Wells native once saved Ford's life ] ]

U.S. Olympic Committee

Buendorf later became Chief Security Officer of the United States Olympic Committee in 1993 after retirement from the Secret Service. http://usoc.gazette.com/fullstory.php?id=1505] From the Olympic Committee headquarters in Colorado Springs, his office is able to monitor security images from other Olympic training sites in Lake Placid, New York and Chula Vista, California, a suburb of San Diego. The grounds of the Olympic Committee is open to the public and has a visitor's center and gift shop. As Chief Security Officer, Buendorf is responsible for security of the US Olympic Committee. However, he was not directly responsible for security at the Olympic Games when they were held in the United States in 1996 and 2002, as such tasks were performed by local, state, and federal government personnel, as well as contracted private security.

His philosophy for the Olympic Committee grounds security is "We don't want to create the environment of armed guards on the fence line." "That's not the kind of image we want for the Olympic movement. But we want it to be known there's a presence."

Other achievements

Buendorf has been inducted into the Minnesota Athletic Hall of Fame.

Acting credits

Buendorf has appeared on the television documentary "Inside the U.S. Secret Service" in 2004. [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0119199/ Larry Buendorf ] ] [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0431150/ Inside the U.S. Secret Service (2004) (TV) ] ]

References

External links

Photo of Larry Buendorf [http://www.usocpressbox.org/usoc/pressbox.nsf/aea59907dd8cbb298725725f00604b8c/646f102f943a0ff38725726b005946d5/$FILE/tn_BUENDORF,%20Larry.jpg] , [http://www.usocpressbox.org/usoc/pressbox.nsf/aea59907dd8cbb298725725f00604b8c/646f102f943a0ff38725726b005946d5/$FILE/Buendorf,%20Larry.pdf]