Mike's America: Reagan Tribute Encore: An Eyewitness Account

Full size image here. All Photos by Mike's America unless otherwise noted.

The President spoke from the rear platform of U.S. Car One of the "Heartland Special" during a Whistlestop train tour of Ohio, October 12, 1984. The speech (sixth item here) was one of those great "take off the gloves" and tell it like it is speeches. I was lucky to get a front row seat and snap the following scene dramatically lit by torch bearers.

U.S. Car One is the official designation given the Ferdinand Magellan when the car was purchased by the U.S. Government in 1946 for the exclusive use of the President of the United States. Tour U.S. Car One at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Miami, Florida.

Many Thanks to All Who Joined the Celebration!

As we conclude our very Reagan week of commemorating the 25th anniversary of the first inauguration of Presdident Reagan, a final look back.

Thus far, we've enjoyed the contributions of readers and fellow bloggers in posts like:

A very heartfelt thank you to all those who joined in this week of remembrance. It's clear from the tributes that President Regan was the greatest president in the lifetime of nearly all who offered their thoughts this past week.

Reagan Library Releases Photo Archive

During much of our look back, contributers have offered visual tributes with photographs from the age of Reagan. It points out that as the "Great Communicator" President Reagan not only mastered the spoken word, but the visuals, great and small which enriched the power of his message in a direct and dramatic way.

Earlier this week, I received an email from the Reagan Library, with notification that all 1.3 million photograps from the Reagan Administration would be released for the 25th anniversary. Television news reports showed the black binders that hold the proof sheets for those photos. The same black binders that I used to pore over as a member of the White House staff looking for photos to send to the official greeters and elected officials who welcomed the president on his political trips. Somewhere in those archives are also a few photos of yours truly. Perhaps I'll share more of those one day.

Inside the White House: Eyewitness to History

Shortly after President Reagan's death in June, 2004, I published the following recollection in the Carolina Morning News:

A Salute to the Gipper

It must be the dream of every political junkie to work in the White House for a president they respect and it was doubly so for me when I joined the Reagan White House Political Office during the presidential election season of 1988.

Our primary goal was to make sure that George H. Bush and other Republicans would be elected to carry forward the great work that President Reagan had achieved the last eight years.

The days started at 8 a.m. with a meeting of the political staff to discuss the president's election activity across the country. One of my jobs was to develop letters of support for candidates the president particularly endorsed, have the president sign them and allow the candidate to use them to demonstrate his credentials as part of "the Reagan Revolution" to the voters in his state or district.

Karl Rove, President Bush's political adviser, was among those I worked with as he conducted a congressional campaign in Texas.

There were many long hours and very detail-oriented work. One thing I picked up quickly is that at the White House you had to do it right and you had to do it right now. There was no time for mistakes or dithering.

Later, when I moved to the Environmental Protection Agency, I learned a new work ethic, one more politically correct. At EPA, it was thought too harsh to say what was right lest you offend someone and, frankly, you were discouraged from getting anything done too quickly which might discomfit your coworkers.

When I wasn't over occupied with work duties during that busy time, I was encouraged to attend many of the public events at the White House.

Staff and guests would be welcome to assemble on the White House lawn and watch as Marine One, the president's helicopter, took him on a trip. We would stand and wave while the nearby press, mostly Sam Donaldson of ABC, would shout questions at the president.

Larger ceremonies, such as the one to congratulate our 1988 Olympic team, were also frequent.

Street vendors in Washington used to pose tourists with a life-size cardboard photo of the president as a souvenir. In a lighter moment, Sen. Bob Dole, hosting a presidential event at a nearby hotel, brought along a cardboard Reagan and our staff had fun posing with the senator and the cardboard president.

Later, as I had a photograph taken with the real McCoy, I joked to the president, "I hope this comes out better than the one with the cardboard cutout." He laughed. But that wasn't surprising. His good humor was legendary and nearly every photograph taken of him over the years shows him laughing or smiling.
The Last State Visit with Margaret Thatcher

An event with deeper inter- national and political signif- icance was the final state
visit of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to the White House on Nov. 16, 1988. As the flags of the United Kingdom and the United States flew proudly from the lampposts up and down Pennsylvania Avenue, military bands and honor guards assembled to welcome one of America's greatest friends.

But there was more to the arrival of Mrs. Thatcher than the pomp and ceremony of a state visit. Her friendship and partnership with President Reagan was nothing short of a political love story.

The affection and respect these two historic figures held for each other was palpable in person. In the photograph I took on that occasion, you clearly see the admiration in the eyes of the president and the warmth of Mrs. Thatcher.

It was a rare moment which crystallized for me the goodness of the man and the strength of personal friendship he had with one of America's greatest friends.

President Reagan visits Bowling Green, Ohio, October 19, 1988. Speech here. Check out the full size photo here.
Perhaps the most important personal accomplishment for me was the political trip I coordinated for the president's visit to my hometown, Bowling Green, Ohio.

Always a key state for Republicans, it was a thrill and an honor to return home to coordinate the details, invite guests and VIP's and make suggestions for the speech Mr. Reagan would deliver.

The morning after the presidential election, President Reagan summoned the White House staff into the Rose Garden to say "thank you" for all the hard work and long hours we had put in to assure the election of his successor, George H.W. Bush.

It had been a long night in the Political Office as we tabulated the results and fed them to senior White House staff. That morning, at the conclusion of his remarks, I recalled that days before he had asked us to "win one more for the Gipper," referring to his favorite movie role as legendary football player George Gipp.

As the president turned toward the Oval Office I had a Sam Donaldson moment and blurted out, "That was one for the Gipper."He turned and came back to the microphone and proceeded to regale us all with another of those classic Gipper stories that he was so famous for.
Waving Goodbye Over U.S. Capitol After Bush '41' Swearing Infull size image here White House Photo

I said goodbye to Ronald Reagan as I stood on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol just after President Bush was sworn in as his successor.The helicopter bearing Ron and Nancy Reagan rose above the Capitol plaza and stately trees. As the helicopter circled directly above me, I stood beneath the trees on the lawn of the Capitol, saluted and reflected on the courage, decency and honor of this great man and all he accomplished.

I do so again. Thank you, Mr. President, and God bless you.

Download the original screen recitation of that famous "win one for the Gipper" line from Knute Rockne: All American here:Download Windows media file here.

Encores Elsewhere

Sparks from the Anvil has favorite Reagan quotes.
In a similar vein, California High School Conservative has the top ten Gipper Quips.
Freedom Eden shares her thoughts.
Cao's blog has a biographical Reagan essay.
Oblogatory Anecdotes created a unique "gif" photo montage.
City Troll has a more traditional photo sampler.
Moonbattery points out the Wall Street Journal Article on the glory of Reaganomics.
"Why I Love Ronald Reagan" is the title of a series begun by Little Miss Chatterbox.