Saturday, June 5th, 2004, the United States lost a citizen. Not an ordinary citizen, although no man's life should be called trivial, this man's life was truly remarkable. That Saturday, Ronald Wilson Reagan, born to a poor family in Illinois, died at the age of 93, died surrounded by family at his home in southern California. After battling with Alzheimer's for over ten years, he is finally at peace.
He began his public life as a sportscaster during the great depression, eventually becoming a famous movie star in the forties. Later, he became governor of California, and eventually the President of the United States. It was during his presidency that American hostages held in Iran for over 400 days returned home. It was during his presidency that the Berlin wall, dividing Germany for decades came crumbling down, followed shortly by the USSR, considered one of the most powerful nations on Earth, and a bitter adversary of The United States. It was from his presidency that conservativism as we know it today came to be, which is still a powerful force in politics, and doubtless will be for a long time.
A ceremony for the family took place in California, before the body was flown to Washington, D.C. Another ceremony occurred in the capitol rotunda following a procession through the streets of the nation's capital. His body then lay in State for 36 hours before being taken to the national cathedral for a formal funeral, attended by leaders and envoys from over 160 countries, countless politicians and family members, and the four surviving ex-presidents of the United States. Included in the attendees was Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of the USSR, and longtime adversary of Reagan during the final years of the cold war. Notably absent from the ranks of mourners were the current presidents of France and Mexico, Jacques Chirac and Vicente Fox, respectively.
After the funeral, the casket was driven to Andrews Air Force Base, where it was flown to Naval Base Ventura County in California. It was then driven by hearse to the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. Along the route to the library, cars were parked along the highway, and the streets were lined with people (sometimes almost twenty deep), in the cities, to see the funeral procession. Upon arriving at the Library, another funeral began, attended by friends, family, many notable stars, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, much like Reagan went from action star to Governor of California. The President's three surviving children, Michael Reagan, Ron Reagan, and Patti Davis, gave tremendously moving eulogies including childhood stories, anecdotes, and even a few jokes to ease the sadness of the moment. He was buried in a private sunset ceremony attended only by family members at a plot chosen specifically by Reagan himself on the grounds of his Presidential Library.
Throughout all of the services for the president, the air of grief was tempered by a sense of relief that he was finally free of his battle with Alzheimer's, and was, as one of the Reagan children put it, up in Heaven riding his stallion through endless fields. One of the most moving portions of the services was Michael Reagan's eulogy. Michael, the president's adopted son from his first marriage to Jane Wyman, spoke of Ronald Reagan not as a president, as many had, but as his father. He spoke of how, upon divorcing Jane and marrying Nancy Davis, he never abandoned one family for the other, and never failed to visit his two children by his first marriage. However, by far, one of the most memorable parts of the entire service was when Michael spoke of the toll that Alzheimer's took on his father on "the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life," as Reagan said in his famous address announcing his being diagnosed with the spatial disorder.
"At the early onset of Alzheimer's disease, my father and I would tell each other we loved each other and we would give each other a hug. As the years went by and he could no longer verbalize my name, he recognized me as the man who hugged him. So when I would walk into the house, he would be there in his chair opening up his arms for that hug, hello, and the hug goodbye. It was a blessing truly brought on by God."
On that Saturday, June 5th, 2004, not only did America lose one of her greatest sons, she lost a father as well, as all of our presidents have served, in a way, as fathers. So too, did the world lose a leader, a venerated man who's imposing figure and powerful influence will continue to cast a shadow over it for as long as men shall tread it.