7 4 , ▁the ▁president ▁said , ▁in ▁part : ▁ ▁The ▁morning ▁that ▁his ▁res ignation ▁took ▁effect , ▁the ▁President , ▁with ▁Mrs . ▁N ixon ▁and ▁their ▁family , ▁said ▁fare well ▁to ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁staff ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁Room . ▁A ▁hel ic opter ▁carried ▁them ▁from ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁to ▁Andrew s ▁Air ▁Force ▁Base ▁in ▁Maryland . ▁N ixon ▁later ▁wrote ▁that ▁he ▁thought , ▁" As ▁the ▁hel ic opter ▁moved ▁on ▁to ▁Andrew s , ▁I ▁found ▁myself ▁thinking ▁not ▁of ▁the ▁past , ▁but ▁of ▁the ▁future . ▁What ▁could ▁I ▁do ▁now ?" ▁At ▁Andrew s , ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁board ed ▁an ▁Air ▁Force ▁plane ▁to ▁El ▁Tor o ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁Air ▁Station ▁in ▁California , ▁and ▁then ▁were ▁transport ed ▁to ▁his ▁home ▁La ▁Casa ▁Pacific a ▁in ▁San ▁Clement e . ▁ ▁President ▁Ford ' s ▁p ardon ▁of ▁N ixon ▁ ▁With ▁N ixon ' s ▁res ignation , ▁Congress ▁dropped ▁its ▁im pe achment ▁proceed ings . ▁C riminal ▁pro sec ution ▁was ▁still ▁a ▁possibility ▁at ▁both ▁the ▁federal ▁and ▁the ▁state ▁level . ▁N ixon ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁Vice ▁President ▁Ger ald ▁Ford ▁as ▁President , ▁who ▁on ▁September ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁issued ▁a ▁full ▁and ▁un cond itional ▁p ardon ▁of ▁N ixon , ▁imm un izing ▁him ▁from ▁pro sec ution ▁for ▁any ▁cr imes ▁he ▁had ▁" comm itted ▁or ▁may ▁have ▁committed ▁or ▁taken