Some 1,200 men and women from Ronald Reagan’s Washington and Sacramento staffs and his presidential campaigns gathered in Simi Valley last weekend for a reunion that commemorated the 100th anniversary of the 40th president’s birth.
A warm Southern California sun shone down on the proceedings (no clouds allowed) which began Saturday with a preview tour of the newly-renovated--and dazzling--museum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The displays cover his very full life, using memorabilia and many film and audio clips. In the early evening a reception was followed by a concert on the floor of the huge Air Force One Pavilion. Former Senator Fred Thompson was the master of ceremonies. Performers included The Beach Boys, the USC Marching Band, singer Ana Maria Perez de Tagle, Los Robles Master Chorale and others. Among the speakers--all brief--were former President George H.W. Bush, former Attorney General Edwin Meese, Texas Governor Rick Perry, Peggy Noonan and Rep. Aaron Schock, newly-elected from the Illinois district that includes Ronald Reagan’s alma mater, Eureka College.
Sunday morning, on the Library’s plaza, looking out over the ocean, the First Marine Division band began the program. Former Senator John Danforth led the invocation. Former First Lady Nancy Reagan laid a wreath at the president’s grave. Speakers included Hollywood’s Gary Sinise, Fred Ryan, chairman of the Reagan Presidential Foundation and keynoter James Baker, former Secretary of State, Treasury Secretary and Ronald Reagan’s first White House Chief of Staff. Lee Greenwood sang his “signature” God Bless the USA, VFA-154 fighter jets from the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan flew overhead and the Beach Boys led the crowd in Happy Birthday to the man all so admired.
A much smaller group then joined Mrs. Reagan for lunch at the Air Force One Pavilion, with pianists Michael Feinstein and Vladimir Feltsman playing several selections.
--Peter Hannaford, chairman, Humboldt County Republican Party
