A True Story About Ronald Reagan

          In the late 1960’s during his first term as Governor of California, Ronald Reagan was not afraid to challenge the liberals who were trying to hijack the state’s university and college system.  While chancellors and regents capitulated to the demands of disruptive rowdies bent on closing down the campuses, Reagan courageously stood up to them and exposed their motives.  At one point, the Chancellor of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) decided that it might be inappropriate to hold the annual ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) graduation ceremony that year, considering the anti-war protests and unrest taking place on the campus at the time.  Acquiescing to the demands of the pusillanimous (see WOW) sluggards who were afraid to go into the military, the chancellor decided to cancel the graduation ceremony that was to honor the individuals who not only had the courage to serve their county, but who had also bravely endured the taunts of those same cowards, simply because they worn a uniform on campus.

          When Governor Reagan heard about the decision to cancel the ROTC graduation ceremony, he immediately dispatched a message to the chancellor.  The message went something like this. “Oh No You’re Not!  Not only will there be an ROTC graduation ceremony on the UCLA campus this year, but I’m going to be there and I’m going to bring John Wayne with me!”  And so he did.  The chancellor was put in his place and the protesters were rebuffed.  A huge crowd showed up to honor the ROTC graduates and hear the future president give one of his signature inspirational speeches.  That was classic ‘Ronald Reagan’, the Ronald Reagan we yearn for today!

          Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois and it was there, growing up in Middle America, that the framework for his character was formed.  Later he would have a successful career in radio, television and movies and he would serve his country in the Army Air Corps during World War II.  In 1952 Reagan married actress Nancy Davis, a union that would evolve into a dynamic team on a much bigger stage in the years to come.  Early on, Reagan began warning his country about the dangers of communism and its quest for world domination.  Many will remember his 1950 documentary illustrating the creeping influence of communism on a large world map.

          After serving two eventful terms as Governor of California from 1967 to 1975, Reagan emerged as a leader who could unite both sides of the political spectrum and actually get things done.  Elected President of the United States in 1980 by a landslide, Reagan would revive the U.S economy with his common sense approach that came to be known as Reaganomics and he would eventually bring down the Soviet Union with his unwavering belief that all people should live in freedom.  Millions of individuals were liberated and millions of lives were improved, all because of the resolve of one man.  No wonder Ronald Reagan is revered as one of the greatest U.S. presidents and is considered by his many admirers across the globe to be one of the greatest world leaders of the Twentieth Century.  Happy Birthday, President Reagan, and thank you for all that you have done.