My Ronald Reagan Story

[TheWizardOfMudd]

President Reagan came to a big factory in my town to make a speech. At the request of my sister, I took my young niece to "see the president." He was supposed to speak in a huge parking lot but it was raining so they moved the speech inside - employees only.

A huge crowd of us waited outside behind a chain link fence not far from his building exit. Reagan's motorcade of limousines was about 100 feet away from me. After about an hour, when it came time for him to leave the building, the Secret Service sent out of the doorway at least a dozen decoy groups of five people (one in the center) to see if anyone was gonna take a shot at Reagan when he walked out. They would walk out, head for his car, stop, look around and then just disperse.

Finally, Reagan came out and went straight into his car. About ten minutes later a secret service guy came out and plugged a microphone on a microphone stand into Reagan's car, which was apparently fitted with a self-contained PA system. Reagan came out of the car in a buttoned-up, long overcoat which was obviously covering up full body armor. You could see square pattern sections of it slightly bulging from underneath the coat. He thanked us for being there, waiting for him in the rain, bla bla bla, for about three or four minutes. He got back in the car.

After about another ten minutes, the windows of the limousines rolled down, and Secret Service agents displayed and brandished machine guns. They cocked the guns. They made very loud cocking sounds, as if to say, "Go ahead, fuck with us! We fucking dare you!" It offended and troubled me to watch that probably unnecessary, scary display of force.

Anyone else have a Reagan story?

[catzies]

1. My brother worked at a McDonald's during the '80 campaign.

Off Pacific Coast Highway In Oxnard CA.

His limo pulled in, and everyone at McDonald's stopped what they were doing and watched Ronald Reagan exit the limo and go to the men's room.

He didn't buy anything, just got back in the limo and left.

I don't recall he even spoke to anyone.

[TheFarseer]

2. When I was like 3 or 4

Raygun came to my little craphole town in Nebraska, which is really amazing now that I think about it. He spoke in front of the college. It was a bright sunny day and dad put me up on his shoulders so I could see him. It's one of the first things I remember actually.

[Gman]

3. Well, I'll give Reagan credit there

because they didn't have "free speech" zones set up.

[demosincebirth]

4. When he was gov of Ca...

he made a statement that taxes should hurt, as he was trying to raise state income tax at the time. A couple of days later, a reporter from a bay area newspaper checked Reagan's tax returns for the previous years and hold and behold, he hadn't paid Ca. income tax for years.

When he was Governor of Ca., he raised taxes more than any Gov before him.

[Catshrink]

5. I was in Seattle, on my way to lunch with a friend....

and inadvertantly took a route close to where Reagan's motorcade was to pass. The SS had traffic stopped and helicopters flying overhead. A whole lot of cars were backed up so most people got out of their cars and milled around. After about half an hour, here came the limos. A group of us "saluted" his car as it passed (and you do know what I mean by salute don't you?). Following the limo came a van in which we could clearly see machine guns and SS agents.

When I got to lunch, 30 minutes late, I told my friend "sorry, I had to wait for Ronnie."

[SuffragetteSal]

6. Handsome? I didn't think so but...

I remember my mother telling me she voted for him because he was the most handsome candidate. Unfortunately some people still use that as a criteria.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

7. Anyone remember "Government Cheese"?

I remember waiting with my sick (alshiemers) grandma on a cold rainly day, in a long line, waiting to pick up our government cheese, being unloaded from the back of a truck (I think it was a semi).

Yeah, the good old days.

[notbush]

14. Hey , we still have government cheese

along with peanut butter,some canned fruit,etc...it's distributed monthly at most senior centers.
The cheese is really good...kinda like a firm velveeta.

[madrchsod]

8. he came back to his hometown

for his birthday. the army or air force band was there along high school band but it was so cold that most of the instruments froze along with everyone lining the street. he spoke at the high school another time..never did see him..really didn`t care to...

[Penndems]

9. New York City, September 1986

I was detailed to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations for two weeks to help out with secretarial support during the 1986 General Assembly session.

On the day that former President Reagan was to give his address, I was asked to type up his speech (which I did in record time). Once I finished proofreading it and handing it over to a Reagan political appointee, he left the room and came back with a small blue and gold box embossed with the Presidential seal. Inside was a sterling silver pen and pencil set that had Reagan's signature engraved on both pieces. (I still have it). The politico thanked me for my help and I, in turn, thanked him for the memento. (It did nothing to change my political affiliation, though, LOL). My colleagues and I then watched the speech on our closed-circuit T.V. monitor (he delivered the speech almost verbatim, and I mouthed the words as he spoke them, LOL).

After Reagan completed his speech and came back to the offices of the U.S. Mission, he and our then-U.N. Ambassador, Vernon Walters, went to the tenth floor of the mission for a pool spray (a "pool spray" is when a crowd of photographers take pictures at public events). I escorted the press corps through and looked at former President Reagan and Ambassador Walters as the cameras whirred and clicked, and - I'll never forget it - while Ambassador Walters looked stoic and formal, President Reagan looked like a deer caught in headlights.

It was clear to myself and everyone assembled that he just wasn't "all there". Little did we know that the Alzheimer's was already taking its toll.

(on edit: addition)

[Toby109]

10. When I lived in D.C. I worked

in A/V setting up multi-media shows and presentations for big shots. Anyway, Reagan came to speak-I think it was the White House Correspondent's Dinner-and I helped set up his slide-show. I still have the remote he used to change the picture.

Funny thing is I had the run of the place that night and the SS never even talked to me nor did they run a background check. They did to all the others in my crew. As I say, funny...

[wellstone dem]

11. I was in grad school in Cleveland

my work study job was for the City of Cleveland in 1979, one of my co-workers said candidate Ronald Reagan was going to be speaking. I didn't want to go see a Republican but I liked the co-worker who convinced me to go, "who knows he might be President." Reagan was a great campaign speaker. I left thinking, 'He very well may be President some day." Didn't vote for him, but was impressed by his communication skills.

[Skittles]

12. my autistic brother was involved in a work program

Reagan cut the funding for it.

[Liberal_Dog]

13. Saw Reagan Give A Speech

While a student at NC State, I saw Reagan give a speech in Reynolds Coliseum in Sept 1985. It must have been around 130 degrees in there.