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The Passing Of A President

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Ronald Wilson Reagan - 40th President Of the United States

 

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Your Leadership and Wisdom are sadly missed and greatly needed. Rest well Gipper.

 

February 6, 1911- June 5, 2004

 

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“Whatever else history may say about me when I’m gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears; to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty’s lamp guiding your steps and opportunity’s arm steadying your way.”

 

 

We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we may always be free.

 

—President Ronald Wilson Reagan, June 6th, 1984

 

 

His work here is done, and now a shining city awaits him. God Bless Ronald Reagan.

 

—President George W. Bush, June 5th, 2004

 

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President Reagan's final farewell to America, written in his own hand November 5, 1994.

 

Click for Spoiler:

My fellow Americans, I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer's disease.

 

Upon learning this news, Nancy and I had to decide whether as private citizens we would keep this a private matter or whether we would make this news known in a public way. In the past, Nancy suffered from breast cancer and I had my cancer surgeries. We found through our open disclosures we were able to raise public awareness. We were happy that as a result, many more people underwent testing. They were treated in early stages and able to return to normal, healthy lives.

 

So now we feel it is important to share it with you. In opening our hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition. Perhaps it will encourage a clearer understanding of the individuals and families who are affected by it.

 

At the moment I feel just fine. I intend to live the remainder of the years God gives me on this Earth doing the things I have always done. I will continue to share life's journey with my beloved Nancy and my family. I plan to enjoy the great outdoors and stay in touch with my friends and supporters.

 

Unfortunately, as Alzheimer's disease progresses, the family often bears a heavy burden. I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience. When the time comes, I am confident that with your help she will face it with faith and courage.

 

In closing, let me thank you, the American people, for giving me the great honor of allowing me to serve as your president. When the Lord calls me home, whenever that day may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.

 

I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.

 

Thank you, my friends. May God always bless you.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ronald Reagan

 

 

 

Click for Spoiler:

 

By JEFF WILSON and TERENCE HUNT, Associated Press Writers

 

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/a.../reagan_obit_15

 

LOS ANGELES - Ronald Reagan (news - web sites), the cheerful crusader who devoted his presidency to winning the Cold War, trying to scale back government and making people believe it was "morning again in America," died Saturday after a long twilight struggle with Alzheimer's disease (news - web sites).

 

  "My family and I would like the world to know that President Ronald Reagan has passed away after 10 years of Alzheimer's disease at 93 years of age. We appreciate everyone's prayers," Nancy Reagan said in a statement.

 

 

Nancy Reagan, along with children Ron and Patti Davis, were at the couple's Los Angeles home when Reagan died at 1 p.m. PDT of pneumonia complicated by Alzheimer's disease, said Joanne Drake, who represents the family. Son Michael arrived a short time later, she said.

 

 

In Paris, President Bush (news - web sites) called Reagan's death "a sad day for America."

 

 

The U.S. flag over the White House — along with flags elsewhere — was lowered to half-staff. At ballparks and at the Belmont Stakes, there were moments of silence.

 

 

Five years after leaving office, the nation's 40th president told the world in November 1994 that he had been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's, an incurable illness that destroys brain cells. He said he had begun "the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life."

 

 

Reagan's body was expected to be taken to his presidential library and museum in Simi Valley, Calif., and then flown to Washington to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. His funeral was expected to be at the National Cathedral, an event likely to draw world leaders. The body was to be returned to California for a sunset burial at his library.

 

 

Reagan began his life in a four-room apartment over the general store in Tampico, Ill. During his 93 years, he was a radio sports announcer, an actor, a two-term governor of California and a crusader for conservative politics.

 

 

Over two presidential terms, from 1981 to 1989, Reagan reshaped the Republican Party in his conservative image, fixed his eye on the demise of the Soviet Union and Eastern European communism and tripled the national debt to $3 trillion in his singleminded competition with the other superpower.

 

 

"Ronald Reagan had a higher claim than any other leader to have won the Cold War for liberty and he did it without a shot being fired," former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said Saturday.

 

 

At the time of Reagan's retirement, his very name suggested a populist brand of conservative politics that still inspires the Republican Party.

 

 

He declared at the outset, "Government is not the solution, it's the problem," although reducing that government proved harder to do in reality than in his rhetoric.

 

 

Even so, he challenged the status quo on welfare and other programs that had put government on a growth spurt ever since Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal strengthened the federal presence in the lives of average Americans.

 

 

In foreign affairs, he built the arsenals of war while seeking and achieving arms control agreements with the Soviet Union.

 

 

In his second term, Reagan was dogged by revelations that he authorized secret arms sales to Iran while seeking Iranian aid to gain release of American hostages held in Lebanon. Some of the money was used to aid rebels fighting the leftist government of Nicaragua.

 

 

Despite the ensuing investigations, he left office in 1989 with the highest popularity rating of any retiring president in the history of modern-day public opinion polls.

 

 

That reflected, in part, his uncommon ability as a communicator and his way of connecting with ordinary Americans, even as his policies infuriated the left and as his simple verities made him the butt of jokes. "Morning again in America" became his re-election campaign mantra in 1984, but typified his appeal to patriotrism through both terms.

 

Reagan's presidency overlaid the spendthrift 1980s, tagged by some as the "Greed Decade." It was a time of conspicuous consumption, hostile takeovers, new billionaires. American power was ascendant after the angst of the 1970s over Vietnam and the release of the hostages in Iran at the start of his presidency.

 

In large ways and small — from the president's tough talk against the Evil Empire and "welfare queens" to his wife's designer dresses and new china for the White House — the Reagans seemed to embody the times.

 

And for all the glowing talk of Reagan's folksy appeal and infectious optimism, it was a time of growing division between rich and poor. Now, as then, critics point to Reaganomics in lamenting big defense spending at the expense of domestic needs and a growing national debt.

 

Reagan, a Democrat in his acting days, got a taste of politics when he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild (news - web sites) from 1947 to 1952.

 

He appeared in more than 50 films over two decades in Hollywood, with roles ranging from a college professor who raises a chimpanzee in "Bedtime for Bonzo" to doomed football star George Gipp in "Knute Rockne: All-American" in which he wanted his teammates to "win just one for the Gipper."

 

Reagan lived longer than any U.S. president, spending his last decade in the shrouded seclusion wrought by his disease, tended by his wife, Nancy, whom he called Mommy, and the select few closest to him. Now, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton (news - web sites) are the surviving ex-presidents.

 

"Ronald Reagan was an excellent leader of our nation during challenging times at home and abroad. We extend our deepest condolences and prayers to Nancy and his family," Ford said.

 

Clinton called Reagan "a true American original."

 

Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry (news - web sites) said that Reagan's "love of country was infectious. Even when he was breaking Democrats hearts, he did so with a smile and in the spirit of honest and open debate."

 

Although she was fiercely protective of Reagan's privacy, Nancy Reagan let people know the former president's mental condition had deteriorated terribly. Last month, she said: "Ronnie's long journey has finally taken him to a distant place where I can no longer reach him."

 

At 69, Reagan was the oldest man ever elected president when he was chosen in 1980, by an unexpectedly large margin over the incumbent Carter.

 

Near-tragedy struck on his 70th day as president. On March 30, 1981, Reagan was leaving a Washington hotel after addressing labor leaders when a young drifter, John Hinckley, fired six shots at him. A bullet lodged an inch from Reagan's heart, but he recovered.

 

Four years later he was re-elected by an even greater margin, carrying 49 of the 50 states in defeating Democrat Walter F. Mondale, Carter's vice president.

 

Reagan's oldest daughter, Maureen, from his first marriage, died in August 2001 at age 60 from cancer. Three other children survive: Michael, from his first marriage, and Patti Davis and Ron from his second.

 

___

 

On the Net: Reagan Library official Web site: http://www.reagan.utexas.edu

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:( :( :tear: :( :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :hug: :)

He was the best recent President ever!!! He died the day before D-Day!!! Live long and Prosper, Mr. President!

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In one sense, I am glad that his suffering has ended. In another sense, his death marks the passing of an era.

 

An era when honest politicians stood by their beliefs, regardless of what it might cost them in public opinion.

 

Reagan was the definition of leadership.

 

He showed us how great America could be.

 

The only time I was ever sad to see a president step down was when Reagan left office. Now I am saddened again as he leaves this world.

 

God bless Ronald Reagan! America will miss him! :(

 

"The government's view of the economy can be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."

 

Welfare's purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence.

 

Ronald Reagan - Los Angeles Times, January 7, 1970

 

 

It is not my intention to do away with government. It is rather to make it work -- work with us, not over us; stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.

 

Ronald Reagan -First Inaugural Address, January 20, 1981

 

 

We who live in free market societies believe that growth, prosperity and ultimately human fulfillment, are created from the bottom up, not the government down. Only when the human spirit is allowed to invent and create, only when individuals are given a personal stake in deciding economic policies and benefiting from their success -- only then can societies remain economically alive, dynamic, progressive, and free. Trust the people. This is the one irrefutable lesson of the entire postwar period contradicting the notion that rigid government controls are essential to economic development.

 

Ronald Reagan -September 29, 1981

 

 

We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much.

 

Ronald Reagan -Address to National Association of Realtors, March 28, 1982

 

 

How do you tell a Communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin.

 

Ronald Reagan -Remarks in Arlington, Virginia, September 25, 1987

 

 

Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

 

Ronald Reagan -Speech near the Berlin Wall, 1987

 

 

Are you willing to spend time studying the issues, making yourself aware, and then conveying that information to family and friends? Will you resist the temptation to get a government handout for your community? Realize that the doctor's fight against socialized medicine is your fight. We can't socialize the doctors without socializing the patients. Recognize that government invasion of public power is eventually an assault upon your own business. If some among you fear taking a stand because you are afraid of reprisals from customers, clients, or even government, recognize that you are just feeding the crocodile hoping he'll eat you last.

 

Ronald Reagan -October 27, 1964

 

 

"However, our task is far from over. Our friends in the other party will never forgive us for our success, and are doing everything in their power to rewrite history. Listening to the liberals, you'd think that the 1980's were the worst period since the Great Depression, filled with suffering and despair. I don't know about you, but I'm getting awfully tired of the whining voices from the White House these days. They're claiming there was a decade of greed and neglect, but you and I know better than that. We were there."

 

Ronald Reagan -RNC Annual Gala, Feb. 3, 1994

 

 

It's time we asked ourselves if we still know the freedoms intended for us by the Founding Fathers. James Madison said, "We base all our experiments on the capacity of mankind for self-government." This idea that government was beholden to the people, that it had no other source of power, is still the newest, most unique idea in all the long history of man's relation to man. This is the issue of this election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves.

 

Ronald Reagan -October 27, 1964

 

 

Public servants say, always with the best of intentions, "What greater service we could render if only we had a little more money and a little more power." But the truth is that outside of its legitimate function, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector.

 

October 27, 1964

 

 

The Founding Fathers knew a government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they knew when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. So we have come to a time for choosing.

 

Ronald Reagan -October 27, 1964

 

 

Yet any time you and I question the schemes of the do-gooders, we're denounced as being opposed to their humanitarian goals. It seems impossible to legitimately debate their solutions with the assumption that all of us share the desire to help the less fortunate. They tell us we're always "against," never "for" anything.

 

Ronald Reagan -October 27, 1964

 

 

You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream -- the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order -- or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. Regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would sacrifice freedom for security have embarked on this downward path. Plutarch warned, "The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits."

 

Ronald Reagan -October 27, 1964

 

:tear:

Edited by edmcgon

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I am going to begin planning my trip to DC for the Funeral. I went to his second inauguration in January 1985 (Though it wound up being canceled due to extreme cold weather). And I have planned to go for this event when the time came.

 

I will share my thoughts, memories and any photographs I may take when the time comes.

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He died like my Grandfather did several years ago...

 

I am ver saddened

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The passing of Ronald Reagain saddens me more than I thought it would. Even though I'm not on the same side of the political aisle so to speak. I'm really on neither side. I could never bring myself to dislike this man. I'm a child of the 80's and RR was president during most of that time and I consider this period one of the the happiest times in my life at present. It was good being a kid back then imo. Back then I didn't know or care about which party the president belonged to, he was just the President and I noticed that he could give a speech and could hold my youthful and limited attention span. I have a lot of fond memories of that period and I feel that I've lost a part of my childhhood. Rest in peace President Reagan.

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I'm fully expecting the Naval Base here to take some special notice, since not only did President Reagan serve as our Commander in Chief, doing great things for the military, perticularly the Navy, but he was also a veteran. he served in the Army from 1941 to 1948. While it is sad to see this great American pass away, it should be understood that wherever he is now, he's probably doing better now than he was at 12:30 PM Pacific Time today.

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I too, like many am saddened by his passing. I know how hard it is for someone with his affliction and I know how hard it is on the family. That burden is now lifted from Nancy and she can begin her own healing process

 

I've never made it a secret that Ronald Reagan was a personal hero of mine growing up. I even had the photo that is at the top of this thread (poster sized) on my wall when I was in High School. So I too am saddened by his passing though it was a passing that we all had sadly come to expect.

 

I am proud to have served as a soldier under him as Commander In Chief.

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I too am saddened by the death of Ronald Reagen he is the only US president that i really liked,i think he was the man who ended the cold war and brought some stabilaty to the world.

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I greatly admired him. I grew up with him as the US President and Mrs. Thatcher as my Prime Minister. They always brought comfort to me since I knew both nations were led by strong and principled people with very strong characters.

 

God Bless Him.

 

May He Rest In Peace.

 

:( :tear: :(

Edited by The King

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His Wall has come down,

He is now well again and at peace.

May God bless him and keep him.

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I believe the movement will begin very soon to add his portrait to the $10 Bill now. I hope it becomes a reality.

I would like that. :(

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I believe the movement will begin very soon to add his portrait to the $10 Bill now. I hope it becomes a reality.

I would like that. :(

It needs to become a reality, I know there was talk of it a few years ago but nothing could take place while he was alive. Now that he has passed they need to honor the greatest president of the 20th century by placing his portrait on our currency.

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An excerpt from President Reagan's Farewell Address in 1989

 

...Finally, there is a great tradition of warnings in Presidential farewells, and I've got one that's been on my mind for some time. But oddly enough it starts with one of the things I'm proudest of in the past 8 years: the resurgence of national pride that I called the new patriotism. This national feeling is good, but it won't count for much, and it won't last unless it's grounded in thoughtfulness and knowledge.

 

An informed patriotism is what we want. And are we doing a good enough job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world? Those of us who are over 35 or so years of age grew up in a different America. We were taught, very directly, what it means to be an American. And we absorbed, almost in the air, a love of country and an appreciation of its institutions. If you didn't get these things from your family you got them from the neighborhood, from the father down the street who fought in Korea or the family who lost someone at Anzio. Or you could get a sense of patriotism from school. And if all else failed you could get a sense of patriotism from the popular culture. The movies celebrated democratic values and implicitly reinforced the idea that America was special. TV was like that, too, through the mid-sixties.

 

But now, we're about to enter the nineties, and some things have changed. Younger parents aren't sure that an unambivalent appreciation of America is the right thing to teach modern children. And as for those who create the popular culture, well-grounded patriotism is no longer the style. Our spirit is back, but we haven't reinstitutionalized it. We've got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom--freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare. It's fragile; it needs production [protection].

 

So, we've got to teach history based not on what's in fashion but what's important--why the Pilgrims came here, who Jimmy Doolittle was, and what those 30 seconds over Tokyo meant. You know, 4 years ago on the 40th anniversary of D-day, I read a letter from a young woman writing to her late father, who'd fought on Omaha Beach. Her name was Lisa Zanatta Henn, and she said, `we will always remember, we will never forget what the boys of Normandy did.' Well, let's help her keep her word. If we forget what we did, we won't know who we are. I'm warning of an eradication of the American memory that could result, ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit. Let's start with some basics: more attention to American history and a greater emphasis on civic ritual.

 

And let me offer lesson number one about America: All great change in America begins at the dinner table. So, tomorrow night in the kitchen I hope the talking begins. And children, if your parents haven't been teaching you what it means to be an American, let 'em know and nail 'em on it. That would be a very American thing to do.

 

And that's about all I have to say tonight, except for one thing. The past few days when I've been at that window upstairs, I've thought a bit of the `shining city upon a hill.' The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined. What he imagined was important because he was an early Pilgrim, an early freedom man. He journeyed here on what today we'd call a little wooden boat; and like the other Pilgrims, he was looking for a home that would be free. I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still.

 

And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was 8 years ago. But more than that: After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.

 

We've done our part. And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women across America who for 8 years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.

 

And so, goodbye, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

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The U.S. Army Military District of Washington to Oversee State Funeral

 

June 6, 2004 -- By law, former presidents are afforded a state funeral upon demise. While the general sequence of a state funeral is shaped by regulation and tradition, each event is also uniquely shaped by the family’s desires.

 

Once the president officially announces the demise of a former commander-in-chief, he then joins the nation in offering condolences.

 

The Secretary of Defense is then directed to conduct the funeral on behalf of the nation. In turn, he designates the Secretary of the Army, who oversees the nation's senior military service, to be his representative.

 

The Secretary of the Army further designates the commanding general for the U.S. Military District of Washington (MDW), to exercise that responsibility. The MDW commander is responsible for making all ceremonial arrangements for the funeral in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere in the continental United States.

 

Each branch of the armed forces provides personnel and support under the supervision of the Military District of Washington. Support includes an Armed Forces Honor Guard. In the past, this special ceremonial unit has participated in the state funerals for former presidents Kennedy, Eisenhower, Truman, Johnson and Nixon. A state funeral was also conducted for the Vietnam Unknown in 1984.

 

http://199.231.147.241/general/index.html

 

Below will explain the honors extended to a former President upon death.

 

As a past commander-in-chief of the U.S. military, former presidents are traditionally accorded a variety of military honors. These customs and courtesies are extended as requested by the immediate family and include:

 

Military escort for the immediate family -- customarily the commanding general of the Military District of Washington serves as the military escort for the former president's immediate family from the time of death until burial. Maj. Gen. Galen B. Jackman will serve in this capacity.

 

Guard of Honor --an Armed Forces team that provides security for the remains when they are in repose or lying in state. The guard also renders honor through their presence at each of the armed services funeral locations. Guard of Honor members are based in Washington, D.C., and belong to ceremonial detachments for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard. They routinely participate in ceremonies at the White House, national memorials and Arlington National Cemetery.

 

Armed Forces body bearers --an Armed Forces team that carries the casket as required during the armed services funeral.

 

21-gun salute --on the day of interment, a 21-gun salute will be fired commencing at noon at all military installations equipped with the necessary personnel and materiel. A 21-gun salute may also be fired at the interment site following the benediction.

 

Military clergy --a military chaplain from one of the services assigned to the immediate family.

 

Flag-draped casket --all veterans are entitled to have the flag draped on their casket. The president, as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, is also entitled to this honor.

 

Caisson --The Old Guard Caisson Platoon of the Military District of Washington's 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment will transport the remains during the Washington, D.C., phase of the funeral. The caisson consists of six horses of the same color, three riders, and a section chief mounted on a separate horse. The caisson itself is a converted transport wagon for a 75mm cannon.

 

Caparisoned horse --a riderless horse following the caisson. A pair of boots are reversed in the stirrups of the empty saddle to symbolize that the warrior will never ride again.

 

Military Band --a military band will play appropriate music in honor of the former president during each phase of the funeral. Some traditional selections include:

 

1) Ruffles and Flourishes -- Ruffles are played on drums and flourishes on bugles. They are sounded together, once for each star of the general officer being honored or according to the title or office held. Four Ruffles and Flourishes are the highest honor and played for presidents.

 

2) Hail to the Chief -- The traditional musical salute to the president of the United States.

 

3) Taps -- A bugle call sounded over the grave of a service member dating from the time of the Civil War.

 

Firing three volleys over the grave --this practice has its origin in the old custom of halting the fighting to remove the dead from the battlefield. Once the dead were removed three rifle volleys were fired as a signal that the battle could resume. The volleys are traditionally fired by a firing party of seven service members. The fact that the firing party consists of seven service members firing three volleys does not constitute a 21-gun salute.

 

National Flag at half staff --the flag will be flown at half staff for 30 days from the date of death.

 

Burial in Arlington National Cemetery --burial in ANC is restricted. The president, as the commander-in-chief is entitled to this honor.

 

http://199.231.147.241/general/military_involvement.html

 

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i feel sad for his passing, but as an Australian - i dont feel emotional about his passing.

 

My condolences and deepest simpathies.

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i feel sad for his passing, but as an Australian - i dont feel emotional about his passing.

 

My condolences and deepest simpathies.

I actually wouldn't expect anyone from other countries to feel emotional about it, I know there will be many in this country that don't. For me though, Ronald Reagan was my boyhood hero. A role model and a big reason I joined the Army. You can probably go through many past posts on the board where I've mentioned him.

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its interesting, i think that he was a very good president ... but other than that - i feel nothing.

 

Rest In Peace Mr. President.

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I must say, I was not alive or at least not long enough to know of him during his presidency, and I did really learn a lot about him, but I do know that he was a president, and I knew he was an actor, I did not know he had Alzheimer's but I knew he had some terminal illness. That is all I need to honor him him, that is all I need to give him the most respect I have. On top of that I now know of what he did, and what he accomplished, I now know that there is not enough pride in the world to have for him, it is overflowing for me. I feel he was an important part in changing the world, changing the world for better. He truly was, an American Hero. May he truly Rest in Peace. God Bless his great, wonderful soul.

 

I've grown to like Swish and I made a tribute to him using the images in the orignal post.

 

http://www.trekkieuniverse.com/rrtribute.swf

Edited by Trekkie617

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Tomorrow (Friday) has been designated the National Day of Mourning. I wish I could have been present in Washington for the procession yesterday, but my duties kept me at Great Lakes.

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One of the saddest things I can say I have ever saw And have seen It three times from Washington . Presidents Kenedy, Johnson, and now Reagan.

 

The Riderless Horse With The Backwards Boots

 

. :unsure:

Every Time I See It.

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In the Wall Street Journal today, there was a good tribute to Reagan from Lech Walesa (for those of you who were not around, he was the leader of the Polish "Solidarity" movement in the 80's):

 

In Solidarity

 

June 11, 2004

 

GDANSK, Poland -- When talking about Ronald Reagan, I have to be personal. We in Poland took him so personally. Why? Because we owe him our liberty. This can't be said often enough by people who lived under oppression for half a century, until communism fell in 1989. Poles fought for their freedom for so many years that they hold in special esteem those who backed them in their struggle. Support was the test of friendship. President Reagan was such a friend. His policy of aiding democratic movements in Central and Eastern Europe in the dark days of the Cold War meant a lot to us. We knew he believed in a few simple principles such as human rights, democracy and civil society. He was someone who was convinced that the citizen is not for the state, but vice-versa, and that freedom is an innate right.

 

I often wondered why Ronald Reagan did this, taking the risks he did, in supporting us at Solidarity, as well as dissident movements in other countries behind the Iron Curtain, while pushing a defense buildup that pushed the Soviet economy over the brink. Let's remember that it was a time of recession in the U.S. and a time when the American public was more interested in their own domestic affairs. It took a leader with a vision to convince them that there are greater things worth fighting for. Did he seek any profit in such a policy? Though our freedom movements were in line with the foreign policy of the United States, I doubt it.

 

I distinguish between two kinds of politicians. There are those who view politics as a tactical game, a game in which they do not reveal any individuality, in which they lose their own face. There are, however, leaders for whom politics is a means of defending and furthering values. For them, it is a moral pursuit. They do so because the values they cherish are endangered. They're convinced that there are values worth living for, and even values worth dying for. Otherwise they would consider their life and work pointless. Only such politicians are great politicians and Ronald Reagan was one of them.

 

The 1980s were a curious time -- a time of realization that a new age was upon us. Communism was coming to an end. It had used up its means and possibilities. The ground was set for change. But this change needed the cooperation, or unspoken understanding, of different political players. Now, from the perspective of our time, it is obvious that like the pieces of a global chain of events, Ronald Reagan, John Paul II, Margaret Thatcher and even Mikhail Gorbachev helped bring about this new age in Europe. We at Solidarity like to claim more than a little credit, too, for bringing about the end of the Cold War.

 

In the Europe of the 1980s, Ronald Reagan presented a vision. For us in Central and Eastern Europe, that meant freedom from the Soviets. Mr. Reagan was no ostrich who hoped that problems might just go away. He thought that problems are there to be faced. This is exactly what he did.

 

Every time I met President Reagan, at his private estate in California or at the Lenin shipyard here in Gdansk, I was amazed by his modesty and even temper. He didn't fit the stereotype of the world leader that he was. Privately, we were like opposite sides of a magnet: He was always composed; I was a raging tower of emotions eager to act. We were so different yet we never had a problem with understanding one another. I respected his honesty and good humor. It gave me confidence in his policies and his resolve. He supported my struggle, but what unified us, unmistakably, were our similar values and shared goals.

 

---

 

I have often been asked in the United States to sign the poster that many Americans consider very significant. Prepared for the first almost-free parliamentary elections in Poland in 1989, the poster shows Gary Cooper as the lonely sheriff in the American Western, "High Noon." Under the headline "At High Noon" runs the red Solidarity banner and the date -- June 4, 1989 -- of the poll. It was a simple but effective gimmick that, at the time, was misunderstood by the Communists. They, in fact, tried to ridicule the freedom movement in Poland as an invention of the "Wild" West, especially the U.S.

 

But the poster had the opposite impact: Cowboys in Western clothes had become a powerful symbol for Poles. Cowboys fight for justice, fight against evil, and fight for freedom, both physical and spiritual. Solidarity trounced the Communists in that election, paving the way for a democratic government in Poland. It is always so touching when people bring this poster up to me to autograph it. They have cherished it for so many years and it has become the emblem of the battle that we all fought together.

 

As I say repeatedly, we owe so much to all those who supported us. Perhaps in the early years, we didn't express enough gratitude. We were so busy introducing all the necessary economic and political reforms in our reborn country. Yet President Ronald Reagan must have realized what remarkable changes he brought to Poland, and indeed the rest of the world. And I hope he felt gratified. He should have.

 

If you choose not to read this article, I would like to point out the following paragraph, which is probably the best tribute to Reagan I have heard so far:

I distinguish between two kinds of politicians. There are those who view politics as a tactical game, a game in which they do not reveal any individuality, in which they lose their own face. There are, however, leaders for whom politics is a means of defending and furthering values. For them, it is a moral pursuit. They do so because the values they cherish are endangered. They're convinced that there are values worth living for, and even values worth dying for. Otherwise they would consider their life and work pointless. Only such politicians are great politicians and Ronald Reagan was one of them.

 

:laugh:

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One thing I would like to add that seems to have been forgotten in many tributes to Reagan was the events leading up to his presidency. Many of these events had caused a great distrust in the government and the office of the president. Consider:

 

1. JFK's assassination followed by the Warren Commission. The assassination itself raised quite a few questions, but the Warren Commission Report, with its' "magic bullet" theory, raised even more questions about a possible government coverup.

2. The Vietnam War. Whether you approve of the war or not, it was so poorly handled that it certainly brought into question our government's ability to run a war.

3. Watergate. I cannot stress enough how much this hurt the credibility of the presidency. Following this scandal with the Ford and Carter administrations did not help at all.

4. Economic problems of the 70's. Inflation was out of control and everything the Ford and Carter administrations did failed. The oil embargo of '73 left a pall over the economy for many years afterwards.

5. Iranian hostage crisis. This was the last nail in the Carter administration's coffin. Just further evidence of ineffectiveness from the presidency.

 

I am not trying to debate any of these issues. I am just pointing out their impact on the American collective psyche. We were very "down" on the government and, by extension, ourselves. In a democracy/republic, if our government fails, who is there to blame but ourselves?

 

When Reagan came into office, there was great skepticism of him. Even the conservatives were skeptical, although they were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Two things were critical in Reagan's first term:

First, the war in Grenada (1983) was successful. Granted, it was a "baby step" militarily speaking. But the fact it was successful restored confidence in our military. The later bombing of Libya (1986) helped to reinforce our confidence.

Second, it took awhile, but Reagan finally got the economy humming by '84. After years of economic malaise, it was like a breath of fresh air.

 

During the '84 election, when he asked if we were better off than 4 years ago, we all knew the answer was yes. And we were grateful to him for it.

 

When he left office in '89, our confidence in government and the presidency had been restored. By extension, so was our confidence in ourselves.

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One thing I would like to add that seems to have been forgotten in many tributes to Reagan was the events leading up to his presidency. Many of these events had caused a great distrust in the government and the office of the president. Consider:

 

1. JFK's assassination followed by the Warren Commission. The assassination itself raised quite a few questions, but the Warren Commission Report, with its' "magic bullet" theory, raised even more questions about a possible government coverup.

2. The Vietnam War. Whether you approve of the war or not, it was so poorly handled that it certainly brought into question our government's ability to run a war.

3. Watergate. I cannot stress enough how much this hurt the credibility of the presidency. Following this scandal with the Ford and Carter administrations did not help at all.

4. Economic problems of the 70's. Inflation was out of control and everything the Ford and Carter administrations did failed. The oil embargo of '73 left a pall over the economy for many years afterwards.

5. Iranian hostage crisis. This was the last nail in the Carter administration's coffin. Just further evidence of ineffectiveness from the presidency.

 

I am not trying to debate any of these issues. I am just pointing out their impact on the American collective psyche. We were very "down" on the government and, by extension, ourselves. In a democracy/republic, if our government fails, who is there to blame but ourselves?

 

When Reagan came into office, there was great skepticism of him. Even the conservatives were skeptical, although they were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Two things were critical in Reagan's first term:

First, the war in Grenada (1983) was successful. Granted, it was a "baby step" militarily speaking. But the fact it was successful restored confidence in our military. The later bombing of Libya (1986) helped to reinforce our confidence.

Second, it took awhile, but Reagan finally got the economy humming by '84. After years of economic malaise, it was like a breath of fresh air.

 

During the '84 election, when he asked if we were better off than 4 years ago, we all knew the answer was yes. And we were grateful to him for it.

 

When he left office in '89, our confidence in government and the presidency had been restored. By extension, so was our confidence in ourselves.

Well said, when he left office in 1989 I had been in the Army for 7 or 8 months and remember watching George H.W. Bush's inauguration in the day room of the barracks. I remember a feeling of sadness coming over me that President Reagan would no longer be my Commander in Chief.

 

I also remember a feeling of unease that came over me as I watched him board the helicoptor, turn and salute the new President at what the future would hold for us without President Reagan's leadership. It was a feeling I had never felt before and have never felt since, I guess that can be attributed to the calming effect that President Reagan had on the Nation and the fact that he was the President during my pre-teen and teen years when I really began to pay attention to the world around me.

 

He was a true American Hero, that's for sure.

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i think growing up in the 80's and learning about usa and that reagan was in office

at the time.had a great affect on me....i can only say may he rest in peace and his warm was felt by millions

 

:theking:

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