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Didn't think it would affect me, but I felt the twinge of sorrow upon hearing the news of former president Reagan's passing. I never felt that for any other president. I was in the Navy when Reagan took office in January, 1981. The Dog & I were stationed aboard a nuclear submarine home-ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Reagan, as you know, was very pro-military. He basically started a "Defense" spending-war with the Soviets and they went broke trying to keep up. That was the beginning of the end for the "evil empire". ••• continued ••• The change in the military when Reagan took office was dramatic. Within days, everyone's attitide rose. It felt as if Reagan's own optimism trickled down through the ranks. People started telling jokes again. Morale soared. We could actually sense his influence some six thousand miles away in Hawaii. Remarkable. Conversely, under Jimmy Carter (we called him "22 percent-Carter" in reference to the soaring interest rates at the time), life in the military was gloomy. Reagan changed that almost overnight. He made us feel appreciated for serving our country and good about being American. That's what I remember most about the man. May he rest in peace. |
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