My Tribute to Ronald Reagan, The Gipper

JEFFHEAD.COM ^ | June 5, 2004 | Jeff Head

[steveegg]

Amen

[Badray]

It's a great and moving story, but apparently it isn't true.

Go here:

http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/taps.htm

[Torie]

My aunt is an actress that knew Reagan from working in Hollywood. When he was elected president, my aunt got in touch with her friend "Ronny" as she called him, and sometime during the chat, she told him that her mother was celebrating her 95th birthday in a few days, and because her mother lived in Davenport, Iowa, she remembered Reagan from his radio days there. Lo, and behold, on my grandmother's birthday, her phone rang, and Reagan was on the line. He said he just wanted to call to wish her happy birthday, and they chatted for about 10 minutes about the old days, the doings in Davenport, etc. My normally unflappable grandmother was flapped. She couldn't believe her ears that Reagan was on the line.

Listening on talk radio, many called with such personal stories. One called about Reagan stopping while he was at his Santa Barbara ranch, and drove past her car, which had a flat tire, on a highway near his ranch. He turned his truck around, and helped her change her tire. Another guy called to chat about his neighbor Reagan mowing his own lawn while governor in Sacramento in a T shirt, and walked over to say high to Reagan, who shaked his hand, and they shot the breeze for about 10 minures or so.

Reagan was just one those sui generis men. He did extraordinary things (even the liberal presidential historians tend to put him in the top 10 of presidents these days) while being just an ordinary guy in real life, who never left the real world most of the rest of us inhabit. While destroying the Evil Empire during his workday as President, he was also very kind, sensitive and considerate to all to whom he came in contact out there on Main Street. In a word, he had his head screwed on right. That too, separates him from far too many politicians these days.

[Jeff Head]

Yep...I see. Oh well, it was a good story.

I do notice that the explanation is filled with terms like, "it is likely", "if anyone", etc. So maybe the orgins are still not clear...perhaps this Captain was in the General's unit and the General was the one who made it SOP.

[Jeff Head]

Amazing stories aboiut an amazong man.

Reagan was just one those sui generis men. He did extraordinary things (even the liberal presidential historians tend to put him in the top 10 of presidents these days) while being just an ordinary guy in real life, who never left the real world most of the rest of us inhabit. While destroying the Evil Empire during his workday as President, he was also very kind, sensitive and considerate to all to whom he came in contact out there on Main Street. In a word, he had his head screwed on right. That too, separates him from far too many politicians these days.

Very well said.

[harpo11]

Dear Jeff,

I was a Reagan Democrat.
Somehow his words.
His vision.
STirred my soul.
Do you think
that we of that young disillusioned lost heartbrakingly so denigrated by many, hapless baby boomer generation,
caught between our Viet Nam War heroes
and vocal powerful media and political leftists commie sympathizers
were reallly turned on
by Ronald Reagan's magnificently vibrant patriotism and unyeilding spirit?

I hope you say, YES!!! I will forever as long as I live remember his refusal to
cave, diminish, or deny
his unsinking adamant belief
that FREEDOM and LIBERTY
are worth fighting for.

Goodbye Great President and here's a hearty Irish toast for the Gipper. Now you can see.
Now you can hear.
Now your character will
burst brilliantly upon our current task
of ridding our world,
our way of life
of terrorist scum
that seek to tread on us!

President Reagan, Sir, your name is FReedom. Sir, you are now
residing with America's fiercest and
most formiddable Patriots!
Heaven is Singing!
Our Hearts Are Joyuous!
For we got to have you for a time.But a wonderful gloriously shining time.
But, heck, you sure made a great imnpact on us.
A time that will be remembered for eons upon eons.
God Bless you!

You will not ever be forgotten!

[Constantine XIII]

We lost a good man today.

[Jeff Head]

Heaven is singing indeed...a great son had accomplished what he was sent to do and returned home.

[Jeff Head]

Yes we did...but his legacy, his example and his inspiration lives on...and is passed on to us to make what we will of it.

I pray we will carry the banner forward a mile or two.

[muslims=borg]

One of the many things I loved about Reagan was that he truly hated communism and wanted to defeat it. He was the first president in my opinion that viewed not just the Soviet Union as our enemy but communism also. When I was a kid I thought the worst thing you could call someone was a communist, they were the scum of the earth to me and still are.

[Jeff Head]

Ronald Reagan believed in America and its fouinding principles. He understood them and knew they would best any other man-made system, and particularly the tyranny, collectivism and dull, incentive killing communist system...of any type.

He set out with a will not only to prove that, but to bring the communist shamd down...and he did. His insite, his forsite, his faith, his dedication, his commitment and his leadership and virtue deserve credit for that...more than any other living mortal.

[itsLUCKY2B]

God Bless you Mr President. Thank you for everything.

[DLfromthedesert]

Thank you, Jeff. I was thinking he was probably very happy to see his beloved daughter Maureen again.

[Jeff Head]

I know you are correct there my friend...whar glorious reunions can await us all on that far shore when our name is called and it is time for us to muster.

[Jeff Head]

Amen to those sentiments and thanks to Ronald Reagan.

[Doomonyou]

Thanks Jeff, my feelings exactly.

Back in 1984, I was working for a construction company and a couple of guys came up and asked who they could talk to about filming a commercial and I said talk to me.

My friend and I ended up in the 15-20 video President Reagan used in his reelection campaign.

A few years ago Mrs. Doomonyou and I drove the kids to Dizzyland in LA and stopped by the Reagan Library on the way (so the trip wasn't a total loss.) We took the tour, and lo and behold, in one of the rooms they had the video as an exhibit and we all sat down to watch with 20-30 others. The kids were about 11 and 5 at the time, and when my face hit the screen they both stood up, pointed at the screen, and yelled ,

"There's Daddy!" to the amusement of all and to my somewhat prideful embarrassment, but when I looked around I received some nods and smiles.

He was the best President in my lifetime to now, and I believe he will be the greatest in my lifetime.

God Bless you President Reagan. My Prayers are with Nancy.

[Jeff Head]

What a GREAT story and a wonderfull experience for your kids...something to remember with great pride!

God grant that we will have more Ronald Reagans, whenever and wherever they are needed. If we are true to our heritage and theprinciplesthis nation was founded upon...we shall have. God has promised as much.

II Chron 7:14.

[dougherty]

I liked it when Reagan spoke lines from that poem at the Challenger memorial. It was very moving.

Btw, President Reagan was indirectly responsible for the 'discovery' of Marilyn Monroe. During his stint in the Army he sent Army photographer David Conover out to shoot morale boosting photos of women working at Lockheed for the war effort. As fate would have it, Norma Jeane was 'discovered' by Conover that day.
I also got a kick out of the way Bette Davis always referred to him as 'little Ronnie Reagan'. They made the film 'Dark Victory' together and were not fond of each other. Bette was a liberal but shortly before her death in 1989 she made the following comment: "He was not a very talented actor, but he gave a very good job as president. He made us all very patriotic. I miss him." This was one of Hollywood's greatest speaking, not some trash like Danny Glover. The stars of yesteryear were definitely a class above the trash we are stuck with now.

[Torie]

Kudos for being such a fine host of your thread. I like that.

[Doomonyou]

Amen to that Jeff.