Posted on 06/09/2004 11:18:26 AM PDT by Wolfstar
For those who were unable to watch the coverage from Point Mugu Naval Air Station this morning as President Reagan and his family left California for Washington, former First Lady Nancy Reagan did something incredibly gracious and moving. She is, after all, an 82-year-old going through an extraordinarily difficult time. Everyone would have understood if she took one of the easier methods of boarding the plane.
Yet she chose to walk up that long flight of stairs. Then, when she got to the top, she turned and waved to the crowd. The crowd spontaneously broke out in very warm applause. (That's a major general escorting Mrs. Reagan. Look at the awe on his face.)
The purpose of this thread is to give all FReepers — those of us who are Ronald Reagan's foot soldiers for life — our warmest expressions of love, support and gratitude. I am going to the RWR library on Sunday and will personally hand-deliver a printout of this thread to them. All tributes received by the library are being saved for later presentation to Mrs. Reagan.
Bump
I was proud to serve in the U.S. Navy under the courageous and stalwart leadership of your husband. Ronald Reagan was responsible for returning the honor and dignity to the Armed Forces. Your husbands insistence on increasing military spending is responsible for saving many lives, and making our forces into the overwhelming power than finally caused our primary enemy into submission.
You Nancy, were a shining example of a loving, uncompromisingly supportive partner. Your relationship was a model of deep, honorable connection. All men are made stronger through a woman's love, and Ronald Reagan was strongest of all.
I was honored to serve under him, as his leadership, strength of character, love of country and commitment to our freedoms was a example for all to follow. We will miss him, but he is with us always. Together, you and President Reagan set the standard for what we all can be.
Glad you liked it, ma'am...MUD
You know, when Reagan was in office, I never had much of an affinity fer Mrs. Reagan. She seemed so distant, and too cool, fer me to identify with. However, after hearing about her strength in dealing with her husband's illness and watching her these past coupla days, I'm finding myself empathizing with her much more, and my respect for her has grown immensely!!
FReegards...MUD
Thank you very much, my FRiend...MUD
To the Reagan Family:
Thank you for sharing your husband/father with all of us. Thank you for your sacrifices and recognizing that Ronald Wilson Reagan was a gift to be shared with the world .. and he was ..
Thank you President Reagan for your leadership and your faith in all of us. God bless you and please look down upon us with favor.
In Jesus Name.
Dear Nancy, Michael, Patti, and Ron,
Thank you all so very much for sharing your Husband and Father with us. The sacrifice was truly yours, but that sacrifice was our gain and allowed a man to reach the heights of his ability, all for the greater good of a better world and country.
I celebrate his life here on earth, as I celebrate his ascension into heaven.
With love and respect
An American
The nation has witnessed a true gentle and loving lady this week. God bless you, Mrs. Reagan.
I served under 5 different Commanders-in-Chief. Your Husband resurrected the Armed Forces that were laid waste by poor leadership and abandonment by the people of the United States of America. Under his able leadership, our self-respect was restored and along with it, our national pride.
Thank you, Mrs. Reagan for your steadfast support and love for President Reagan. I know I speak for most when I tell you that I have never served under a better man.
God Bless You and Yours,
Redleg Duke
Could you please attach the condolences from this thread I started? Thanks, NYTexan
FReeper Condolences to Nancy Reagan
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1148366/posts
Dear Nancy Reagan,
Words are not enough to convey the depth of love we had for your husband! Ronald Wilson Reagan.
We appreciate the tireless work and effort you have poured into his life these last ten years. You have seen him as no on else has. Your love and respect for him has been a testimony to all of us in this Country.
We know you loved him for a much longer time.
Thank-you for loving and attending to him as he grew farther away from you in memory.
You are a very special Lady.
You will go down in history and it will be kind to you, because of your enduring love to our 40th President.
Just know that life is so much better in the world, because God used him! He made great strides for freedom thoughout all Nations because of the convictions he had.
What a blessing he has been to all of us! I hope you feel the love pouring out to you and the children.
God Bless you Dear Lady!
I write this after the most moving and inspirational funeral service I've ever witnessed. The music was beautiful and magnificient.
The Speakers all, were very loving in their tributes.
You and the family, showed a wonderful demeanor throughout this whole week.
My heart broke for you! I know it was difficult for you!
Just know you are prayed for and God Bless you in the coming days, Dear Nancy.
Dear Mrs. Nancy Reagan,
I was on Constitution Ave when you got out of the car to observe Ronnie being moved from the hearse to the caisson. You seemed moved by the fact that the thousands of ordinary people broke in to applause for you.
Afterwords a friend remarked that you may have been unaware of how much you are loved by the American people. You were trashed badly by the media... especially in Ronnie's first term.
You see the media and the opposition could not attack Ronnie. They knew the public loved him. So they thought they could tarnish Ronnie by attacking his less well known wife. They attacked you for everything from the White House china to the clothes on your back. The American people instinctively knew they were trying to hurt Ronnie by attacking you.
I know from experience that any man who saw how you looked at your husband was green with envy... Oh how we all wished our wives supported us, as you supported your husband. We all thought about what we could accomplish if we had a support system like you provided President Reagan. And I know from that woman who saw you thought, "look how she looks at him... He must be the worlds greatest husband."
The media thought they were attacking Ronnie by attacking you. All they did was reduce the credibility of the media. A huge majority of the American people were not fooled.. see the 1984 presidential election returns.
But over the years there were few opportunities for the general public to show you how we feel. That briefe moment on Constition Ave was a moment we did not want to miss. Please take to heart how much you are loved and admired by the American people.
Men's reaction to you is quite differnent than mens reactions to most beautiful hollywood actresses. Men look at most hollywood ladies and say.. "Wow I like her." But with you it was different. We did not want to woman who loved Ronald Reagan. We wanted a woman who loved us as much as you loved Ronald. That translates into our admiration for you.. a wonderful lady to be held in high esteem... the standard of meausure for the ideal mate.
I lost my wife about a year and a half ago. There was tendency on my part to second guess myself.... to wish I had been a better husband. I can not imagine you being justified in doing that. It is universal reaction. When we saw you and Ronnie together, all we could think was "That is the way marriage ought to be for us all."
God Bless and Keep You,
'tator
What an absolutely beautiful tribute to the life Nancy had with the President.
Thank-you for talking to me.
Your heart shows the love you had for Ronald Reagan. And Nancy.
And you are, to be sure the husband that God had for your wife.
Nancy Reagan will never get to know how we love her, and now, the memory of her husband. Simply because there is too much.
They were extraordinarily loving, sweet and tender to one another.
Not far, to be truthful, from my own marriage.
My husband is so much like R.R., but just not the President.
He is a testimony to all who meet him.
He loves me and I am honored to have him as my covenant partner in life. This year we were married 39 years. I actually don't feel much older than that!
To be sure, God has created these unions. Praise be to Him!
Tater, that bond is enduring to people. We love to see that relationship in others.
And it's extra special when they happen to be President of the United States, the most powerful nation in the world!
We have seen history played out over the last week that is rivaled only by 9/11. IMO
I was 16 when JFK was shot, having lunch with classmates when the news came over the car radio. We were kids and the full impact did not hit us until later in life, I'm sure.
Back in class, the teachers were much more impacted than we were. As I look back now. We just reacted to them and their feelings.
But a lot may have to do with the fact that I was looking at it from a 16 year old standpoint.
I had campaigned against JFK at 13 in my school.
I was for Richard Nixon. Why? I don't know. But I have been a Republican all of my life. The economics of smaller government and who knows, what else.
Even then, I had friends that said, " But John Kennedy is so cute". Well it didn't matter to me. I didn't vote according to "cute". I campaigned and voted on what I considered principles. Amazing, huh? At such a young age.
Well, Richard Nixon lost in our school election, as best as I remember. But I still stayed on the Republican side. Conservative as much as I could be at 13.
But this death of Ronald Reagan is the largest, most moving occurrence in my lifetime. I'm sure there are others that might see it differently, but this has been hugely important to me.
The next few days, weeks and months will be the measuring stick as to what impact this has on our Nation. My hope is, we will immediately see a difference in the poll numbers.
Up, for W, and then see the Country rally around the man most closely resembling R.R.
He was a phenomenmon, of magnanimous proportions when he came on the scene, running for President. He carried such hope in his speeches. I was absolutely thrilled when he finally won.
It was by a landslide against Jimmy Carter, life turned beautiful again, from my view.
Here came smaller government, tax breaks, and all that political stuff. But on top of that. He was Pro-Life!!!
And said it LOUD!!! And he LOVED my Country!!! And the Military. I came from Military! And he was patriotic!!!
Talked like he knew exactly what I was thinking.
Well............I was bowled over with joy!!!!!
I had a friend that had gone to Plains Ga. and sat in Jimmy Carter's Sunday School Class, and thought he was the most humble, Christ loving man she had ever had as S.S. teacher. And he was running for the greatest office in the world.
She tried every way she could to convince me to campaign for Jimmy Carter. No way. He was pro abortion.
Somehow, I couldn't make that line up with the Scripture.
Profess to love God and believe in Jesus, but VOTE to kill babies! No, I couldn't do that. And it made me wonder about HER! Still do.
Life for Nancy will be a bit different now that he has finally gone, for good. But she has all the memories and love of her children to tend to her. She will be okay. It is hard to see a frail woman hold up under such pressure, so noblely.
She is loved and that's what matters now at this time.
She has seen the caring for her husband that she didn't know was out here.
Now, she does!
The thing we all need to do now is, get the vote out and show the difference between JFK and GWB.
And, there is a big difference!
George Bush and Laura have the same kind of love and it shows! He is very much like RR, just not as easily communicatable to us.
Of course, there are some of us out here in TV land that vote principle, we don't have to have the wooing of politicians!
So my idea is.......get out the vote, show the difference in the men, give freely and as much as you can, pray for victory, and stand back and watch how God works!
It will be beautiful!
I am so sorry for the pain I hear in your voice for your own situation. May you find peace and contentment in life!
God Bless you, dear man. I hope the very best for you!
Will do. The library will not reopen until this Monday, so I will be going up next weekend.
Sweet Nancy,
Forgive me for not understanding you until this week. I had bought into the media attacks of you, even though I loved your husband. I am so sorry. After seeing interviews with you this week, and watching you as I was glued to the TV all week, I now see such a special lady. By the end of this week, I dreampt about you, and how I suddenly was lucky to be your personal assistant...we were doing all sorts of errands, and you joked, "I never was elected, and yet I still have all these official duties! I didn't know all of 'this' came with my office as 'wife'!!" When I woke, after having such an enjoyable time with you,--the Nancy I have studied all week-- I realized it wasn't real, and was sad, missing you.
Thank you for the planning put into this long, long week, and sharing it, being so vulnerable. I needed all of it to learn, to grow, to repent, to change directions in my life.
May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to comfort you with His love,
gentlestrength
California
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