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Text of Michael Reagan's Remarks

Posted on 06/11/2004 9:37:43 PM PDT by ReaganandDubyaForever

Text of remarks by Michael Reagan at Friday's burial service for former President Reagan, as transcribed by eMediaMillWorks Inc.:

Good evening. I'm Mike Reagan. You knew my father as governor, as president. But I knew him as dad. I want to tell you a little bit about my dad. A little bit about Cameron and Ashley's grandfather because not a whole lot is ever spoken about that side of Ronald Reagan.

Ronald Reagan adopted me into his family 1945. I was a chosen one. I was the lucky one. And all of his years, he never mentioned that I was adopted either behind my back or in front of me. I was his son, Michael Edward Reagan.

When his families grew to be two families, he didn't walk away from the one to go to the other. But he became a father to both. To Patti and then Ronnie, but always to Maureen, my sister, and myself.

We looked forward to those Saturday mornings when he would pick us up, sitting on the curve on Beverly Glen as his car would turn the corner from Sunset Boulevard and we would get in and ride to his ranch and play games and he would always make sure it ended up a tie.

We would swim and we would ride horses or we'd just watch him cut firewood. We would be in awe of our father. As years went by and I became older and found a woman I would marry, Colleen, he sent me a letter about marriage and how important it was to be faithful to the woman you love with a P.S.: You'll never get in trouble if you say I love you at least once a day, and I'm sure he told Nancy every day "I love you" as I tell Colleen.

He also sent letters to his grandchildren. He wasn't able to be the grandfather that many of you are able to be because of the job that he had. And so he would write letters. He sent one letter to Cameron, said: "Cameron, some guy got $10,000 for my signature. Maybe this letter will help you pay for your college education. He signed it, Grandpa. P.S. Your grandpa is the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan. He just signed his sign."

Those are the kinds of things my father did.

At the early onset of Alzheimer's disease, my father and I would tell each other we loved each other and we would give each other a hug. As the years went by and he could no longer verbalize my name, he recognized me as the man who hugged him. So when I would walk into the house, he would be there in his chair opening up his arms for that hug, hello, and the hug goodbye. It was a blessing truly brought on by God.

We had wonderful blessings of that nature. Wonderful, wonderful blessings that my father gave to me each and every day of my life.

I was so proud to have the Reagan name and to be Ronald Reagan's son. What a great honor. He gave me a lot of gifts as a child. Gave me a horse. Gave me a car. Gave me a lot of things. But there's a gift he gave me that I think is wonderful for every father to give every son.

Last Saturday, when my father opened his eyes for the last time, and visualized Nancy and gave her such a wonderful, wonderful gift.

When he closed his eyes, that's when I realized the gift that he gave to me, the gift that he was going to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He had, back in 1988 on a flight from Washington, D.C. to Point Mugu, told me about his love of God, his love of Christ as his Savior. I didn't know then what it all meant. But I certainly, certainly know now.

I can't think of a better gift for a father to give a son. And I hope to honor my father by giving my son Cameron and my daughter Ashley that very same gift he gave to me.

Knowing where he is this very moment, this very day, that he is in Heaven, and I can only promise my father this. Dad, when I go, I will go to Heaven, too. And you and I and my sister, Maureen, that went before us, we will dance with the heavenly host of angels before the presence of God. We will do it melanoma and Alzheimer's free. Thank you for letting me share my father, Ronald Wilson Reagan.

© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


TOPICS: Announcements; Breaking News; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; Front Page News; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: 2020election; election2020; godblessmikereagan; landslide; michaelreagan; reaganlibrary; ronaldreagan; speechtext; text; transcript; trumplandslide
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Wow, what a testimony to the greatness of Ronald Reagan.
1 posted on 06/11/2004 9:37:44 PM PDT by ReaganandDubyaForever
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever

Michael Reagan was eloquent. He is his father's son.


2 posted on 06/11/2004 9:39:43 PM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg (There are very few shades of gray.)
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever

I am going to get the Kleenex before I read this again.


3 posted on 06/11/2004 9:40:23 PM PDT by admiralsn (-|- "All in all, not bad. Not bad at all." -|-)
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever

Makes you believe that there is, indeed, a God. And that He hasn't turned His face from us.

After all, He gave us Ronald Wilson Reagan. What more needs to be said?


4 posted on 06/11/2004 9:40:39 PM PDT by ex 98C MI Dude (Proud Member of the Republican Attack Squad)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg

very nice, very nice


5 posted on 06/11/2004 9:43:30 PM PDT by mcenedo (lying liberal media - our most dangerous and powerful enemy)
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever

Of all the elegant eulogies this week, Michael's was the most beautiful and touching.


6 posted on 06/11/2004 9:46:07 PM PDT by Thane_Banquo
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever

I think more highly of him than his biological children. There is genuine love there between him and his father. As for the other two ... who knows?


7 posted on 06/11/2004 9:47:06 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever

No, what a testimony to Michael Reagan. I have so much admiration and respect for Michael.


8 posted on 06/11/2004 9:49:28 PM PDT by job ("God is not dead nor doth He sleep")
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever
Thanks for posting this.

I missed hearing it and wondered what he said.

9 posted on 06/11/2004 9:54:43 PM PDT by syriacus (Have YOU hugged a rudderless, cranky liberal today?)
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever

Michael touched my wife and I so much that we both cried, and our hearts sure do go out to Nancy! Praise Jesus for such a woman of love, even after President Reagans death! Humbling experience for Americans who have a heart!


10 posted on 06/11/2004 9:58:28 PM PDT by Grassontop (The demonrats may learn something spiritual from Reagans funeral.............then, maybe not!!!!)
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever

Michaels eulogy was amazing!


11 posted on 06/11/2004 9:59:59 PM PDT by Delbert
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever
Comparing Michael to his surviving siblings really makes the "nature vs. nurture" arguments rather muddy...
12 posted on 06/11/2004 10:01:56 PM PDT by Keith in Iowa (Reagan defeated communism while Kerry was kissing its arse.)
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To: job
No, what a testimony to Michael Reagan. I have so much admiration and respect for Michael.

I have the greatest admiration and respect for Michael. I admire and respect him equal to that of his father. I just know that God is working through Michael right now.

13 posted on 06/11/2004 10:03:41 PM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (John Kerry: An old creep, with gray hair, trying to look like he's 30 years old.)
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever

Obviously RWR loved Michael very much and Michael fully grasped that love. RWR purposed to pass his spiritual heritage on to Michael and that is now a very great comfort. Michael can now rejoice that his father's passing is but a momentary separation.


14 posted on 06/11/2004 10:05:56 PM PDT by bereanway
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever
© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Can the Associated Press do this? These are Michael Reagan's words. He, not the press, should own the copyright to them.

15 posted on 06/11/2004 10:12:56 PM PDT by wai-ming
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever

God bless Michael Reagan. What a beautiful, honest and heartfelt tribute to his Dad. Even if he doesn't share RR's genes, Michael has inherited Ronald Reagan's faith, his goodness, and his lack of ego.


16 posted on 06/11/2004 10:27:51 PM PDT by shhrubbery!
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever
Surfed through the channels while there was a break on Fox and heard Chris Matthews criticize his commments. Matthews more or less stated that Mike was proselytizing his evangelical Christian beliefs at his dad's funeral and wore his religion on his sleave.
17 posted on 06/11/2004 10:55:04 PM PDT by Robert Lomax
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Dear Mr. President,

Thank you for saving the world from its own madness.

I bid you a fond farewell.

With deepest respect,

D.M.


18 posted on 06/11/2004 10:57:50 PM PDT by Lunatic Fringe (John F-ing Kerry??? NO... F-ING... WAY!!!)
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To: Robert Lomax

For Matthews to criticize Michael Reagan for talking about God at his father's funeral is psychotic.

At funerals one SHOULD speak about God and eternal life. That is exactly the topic one should be focusing on.

It is terrible that so many people not only hate God but feel confident and proud of that hatred. Matthews should be very ashamed of himself.


19 posted on 06/11/2004 11:28:45 PM PDT by little jeremiah (Rejection of absolutes = absolute chaos, then totalitarianism, and then absolute hell on earth.)
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To: ReaganandDubyaForever

God's arms are around you, Michael... you have been a good son.


20 posted on 06/11/2004 11:29:02 PM PDT by Libertina (Reagan showed us what being a great president was all about. Thank you sir for bringing pride!)
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