Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

 

Located in Simi Valley, California the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library is a great collection of memorabilia and history of our 40th American President. Born on February 6, 1911 President Reagan led a colorful and diverse life. He was an announcer, soldier, actor, labor leader, governor and President. He took over our country in a time when it didn't feel very good to be an American. We had been through Vietnam, the Nixon issue, a down economy, American citizens held hostage in Iran, and the exclusion of American athletes in the 1980 Olympics. Plus, there was serious concern that the United States was losing the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Over the following eight years of Ronald Reagan's Presidency he made it feel good to be an American again. We hosted our own olympics in 1984, we led the charge against communism in the world and contributed to its military defeat in places like Afghanistan and its ideological defeat in eastern Europe. Moreover, though not all of his programs and policies were popular, President Reagan was an authority figure, someone who challenged you to do your best and be the best you could be. It was an honor to spend some time at his wonderful Library this past summer and I look forward to going back again soon.

The Air Fore One pavilion is an amazing piece of architecture. The west facing wall is made of steel frames holding sections of glass to make an all-glass wall you can look out over the valley. A breathtaking sight. The pavilion houses Air Force One, used by presidents Nixon through Bush 2. You can also see the President's limo, Marine One helicoptor, and some secret service vehicles.

In the upper section of the AF1 Pavilion are some great displays on the Cold War, like thisNATO and Warsaw Pact sentries standing guard on either side of a piece of the Berlin wall. There is also a room that discusses the nuclear arms race and how the two sides stood on the brink of annihilation and then came together to minimize that threat

It didn't look good in the days following the first arms summit in Reykjavik, Iceland back in October of 1986. However, the groundwork laid out between President Reagan and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev would bear fruit in the form of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Once the leaders of the two most powerful nations in the world and philosophically enemies, President Reagan and Premier Gorbachev went on to become the best of friends. Now living in San Francisco, I was told that Mr. Gorbachev is a frequent visitor to the Library.