Posted on 06/10/2004 8:54:43 AM PDT by RobFromGa
I just got back from a twenty four hour trip to Washington, D.C. to pay my respects to the great President Ronald Reagan. I was the 40th person from the general public to enter the Rotunda and see the flag-draped casket with my own eyes. Here are a few of my thoughts from the day:
I arrived into DC at 1015 am from Atlanta, and dropped my bag by the hotel and headed for the Capitol on the Metro from Pentagon City. When I got to the line area it was about 11:10 and there were about 30 people ahead of me. I called Kristinn of the DC Chapter and gave him a heads-up on what was going on at the head of the line.
We were right on the Reflecting pool (20 feet back) facing the Capitol steps where Reagans casket was to be carried into the Rotunda. The Mall and the Washington monument was behind us.
Georgia was well represented in the first 30, there were two families and myself, so we had 8 of the first 35 or so people in line. The people around me in the line were all great— a couple from NC that had driven overnight to get there, and was driving back overnight, and a number of groups of 2-3 people that were all there like I was as “something that we just had to do”.
As noon passed, the sun got hot, and the water deliveries started coming, they dropped off 150,000 bottles of water along the street and started distributing to the crowd. At this point I took off my jacket and tie, to put it on later.
As an example of the goodness of conservatives, one man ordered 30 or more Domino’s pizzas at about 1:30 and proceeded to hand them out to the people in the line, one pizza per 4-5 people. He got a great cheer. The line really didn’t grow much at this point, only up to about 100-150 people by 3:00. But we speculated that people were lining up for the procession on Constitution Ave due to occur starting at 6pm.
As we were recalling our favorite Reagan stories, and comparing the parallels between Bush 43 and Reagan, one of the people next to me said “Why are those people running away from the Capitol?” We figured that there was something they were running to see, but two minutes later the Capitol police started yelling at us to “RUN AND GET AWAY NOW”, some asked what’s going on , they said, “WE WERE TOLD TO EVACUATE AND THAT’s WHAT WE’RE DOING—RUN AND LEAVE YOUR STUFF.” People moved fast yet stopping to help people who needed assistance, and when we got a few blocks away, someone heard that there was an Unidentified Plane that was in restricted airspace in the vicinity of the Capitol”.
A few minutes later, the ALL CLEAR was given and we all got back to our positions in line without incident, a few butted in, but they were moved back to the end of the line. But it added some excitement.
At 4:50 we were all listening on the radio of the person right behind me in line who it turned out later was one of the Speechwriters for Margaret Thatcher, and who was loaned to Ronald Reagan to collaborate on a speech for Reagan. This guy was quite interesting and had met both Thatcher and Reagan on numerous occasions. Anyway, I digress. We heard on the radio that the President’s body had arrived at Andrews and was to be brought in for the procession due to start at 6pm.
The line was now about 1000 people long and I talked to Kristinn on the phone who was set up to watch the Funeral procession on Constitution Ave. He said that there were people 6 and 10 deep along the procession route. I could see swarms of people over near the route. The general feeling was a somber celebration of the life of Ronald Reagan, a man who changed our lives.
There were police everywhere and secret service types in plain clothes watching everyone. One man set his bag down and walked ten feet away and they were on him checking ID and the bag within a minute. He was still being radioed in and checked out ten minutes later. They were taking no chances.
THE FLYOVER at about 640pm was AWESOME. It happened right above us. A single jat streaked in from the South at about 1000 feet altitude (really low), followed by four groups of four jets in formation spaced about 20 seconds apart. The fifth group of four jets streaked in and one of the four pulled into a climb almost straight up until he disappeared into the haze of heaven. The 21 had their “missing man” depart. Fitting and awe-inspiring.
A few minutes later, we saw the caisson arrive at the foot of the steps of the Capitol and the riderless horse was behind it. I wish I could have seen that close up, but I had made my choice to be in line for the Rotunda. They carried the casket up the steps with Honor guards lining the sides of the stairs. At this point, they started moving us up towards the Capitol, and through Security. We were listening to the funeral speech when we had to throw the radio away (security).
They made us check our cameras (to be returned on the other side) and turn off cell phones. Then we walked another couple hundred yards and we went through a bank of ten-twelve metal detecros, then we were walked up to the Capitol West veranda to the front of the Rotunda.
I then got to stand in the most amazing place for almost an hour while the funeral ended and the room was readied for visitors. I was standing on the edge of the veranda, right in front of the entrance to the Rotunda. Facing the Mall, the sun set over Washington. We all had the same thought- “the shining city on the hill”.
The view was unbelievable and the same as that seen by Ronald Reagan when he was the first to be inaugurated on this side of the Capitol “facing America”. I was moved by that view. People around me in line were saying prayers for America and President Reagan and President Bush from that spot. I read JeffHead’s words that I had carried with me for him.
At this point we were all lined up, and I counted my position in line, I was #40—and Ronald Reagan was our fortieth President. I remember thinking I am glad I wasn’t #42. (that was Margaret Thatcher’s speechwriter but I didn’t tell him). At 9:20 or so the door to the Capitol opened. And we were admitted.
A chaplain in white gloves greeted us and I shook his hand and thanked him for taking good care of President Reagan. Then a minute later I was in the Rotunda with the flag-draped casket. I was only in there for about two minutes, but that was enough. My thoughts in that room were that a Great Man was gone, that there were few like him in my lifetime, and that we could have used his voice so much these past ten years as he withered from his disease.
But the thing I took from this day and from this man was his ETERNAL OPTIMISM-, the fact that America is great because people are basically great when unshackled and allowed to live in Freedom. And the American system is what makes that possible.
GOD BLESS AMERICA.
Black business suit, white shirt and dark tie.
For the man who never went into the Oval Office without a coat and tie on, how could I offer him less respect?
Taxman Bravo Zulu! For your Patriotism and for your very special eye witness report.
I loved reading every word of this. You could have gone on forever. Thank you for sharing.
ping
Here ya go...
Amazing, indeed. Outstanding report. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with the rest of us. God bless the Gipper.
It is so very touching the out pouring of love and respect for President Reagan from just ordinary people, many who never had not even been born when he was President.
The one thing that has stuck in my mind for the past Two days is even though Nancy Reagan was the guiding hand in his life,she has looked very small and helpless these last two days.. I am so glad to see that America has shown that they loved him more than we knew.
Sure is, my friend.
bump
God bless this nation!
Happy Birthday President Reagan!
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