"We treat the President like a king, when he should be a man for all the people.

What would've happened if Frank Wills hadn't been working June 17, 1972? No one would've noticed the taped door and called the police. The Watergate burglars would not have been caught. Nixon would've remained in office for the rest of his term, this site wouldn't exist, and there is a good possibility that John Connally could've been president.

Thank God for Frank Wills, I say.

Frank Wills passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2000. After his part in history, he quit his job as a security guard because he did not receive a raise for his role in discovering the burglary. He made some money on the talk show circuit, but was unable to hold down a steady job because of the traveling required. He was convicted of shoplifting in 1983, and by 1993, he was so destitute that he was washing his clothes in a bucket until James Kilby founded an organization, Treat Every American Right (TEAR) to raise money for Mr. Wills.

Wills' post-Watergate life was not all misery, though. He was able to play himself in the film version of "All The President's Men," worked for the comedian Dick Gregory, lived in the Bahamas, and had a Harry Nilsson album dedicated to him. Not nearly enough in this American's mind. If I ever have a yard, I am erecting a statue of Frank Wills in it, to daily remind me of how lucky we are to have a watchman in the night.