After reading Bill Steigerwald’s poignant tribute to Michael Reagan (commentary, Jan. 9), I would like to share a personal remembrance of the stellar conservative with a great family pedigree.
Several years ago. my brother and I were visiting the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. It is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon, reveling in the wisdom of a truly great president. We were standing in an alcove where you can, through video and sound, experience the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley. As the film was about to roll, we heard a voice say, “I don’t want to see my father get shot again.”
We didn’t think anything of it until we exited the exhibit. There stood Michael Reagan. We knew who he was but had never seen him before. Like wide-eyed tourists, we struck up a conversation and he was kind enough to regale us with stories about his father for almost 20 minutes. What a cool guy.
One story he told shone a light on how the world’s most powerful leader had a sense of humor, even in his darkest hour. When the president was shot by Hinckley outside the Washington, D.C., Hilton in 1981, he was, of course, rushed to the hospital in serious condition. Michael was one of the first to visit his father. During their conversation, President Reagan said to Michael, “I was wearing a brand-new suit when I was shot and they had to cut it off me when I was admitted. I understand the young man who shot me comes from a wealthy family. Do you think they would replace my suit?” This from a man who was almost killed shortly before. We laughed with Michael and we were so grateful that he had shared such a personal story with complete strangers.
Michael’s passing is a great loss for The Signal’s readers. He was an articulate voice for conservative values and ideas. Even though I only met him for 20 minutes, it was an honor and a privilege.
Larry Moore
Valencia
