Grandpa Bill and Black Beauty Travel: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library And Museum, Sept. 3 & 4, 2013

Today Sep 3, 2013 my daughter Janice and I drove to Simi Valley, California to visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. We waited until after Corey and Nicku left for their honeymoon then we took off. Simi Valley is about 40 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, California a drive of roughly 340 miles from Janice's home. Initially the library was to be built at Stanford University but in 1987 those plans were cancelled . Construction started at the Simi Valley site in 1988 and was dedicated on Nov. 4, 1991. This was significant in that this was the first time in United States history that 5 United States Presidents gathered together in the same place. Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan himself, and George H. W. Bush attended. Six First Ladies attended - Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Cater, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis did not attend. At the time of construction this was the largest of the presidential libraries with 153,000 square feet. When the President William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park was built it was larger. When The Air Force One Pavilion was opened with it's 90,000 square feet the Reagan facility reclaimed it's title as the largest. The Reagan Library was built at a cost of $60 million dollars all from private donations. As a Presidential library it is administrated by the National Archives and Records Administration and as such is the official repository of presidential records of the Reagan administration. The volume of material is massive - 50 million pages of presidential documents, over 1.6 million photographs, a half million feet of motion picture film and tens of thousands of audio and video tapes. In addition it houses personal papers, collections including documents from Reagan's eight years as Governor of California. With this vast amount of material you can imagine the problem of keeping track of all of it. In fact that has been a major problem and the National Archives officials reported that due to poor record-keeping, they are unable to say whether approximately 80,000 artifacts have been stolen or lost and in fact may be inside the facility someplace.The library has undertaken a massive inventory project that will take years to complete. The National Archives officials say the problem has been with poor inventory software as well as a security breakdown leaving the artifact subject to theft. The National Archives labeled the Reagan Library with the most serious problems with its inventory. All of this material is there to be studied by historians, authors and others with appropriate approval of course.We arrived early afternoon and toured the Presidential Library and Museum and came back the next morning Sept. 4, 2013 for some additional photographs.

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library And Museum

Grandpa Bill Standing Outside Ronald Reagan Presidential Library And Museum

Reagan Presidential Library & Museum

Entrance To Reagan Presidential Library & Museum

Entrance To Reagan Presidential Library & Museum. This Is The Largest Of The Thirteen Federally
Operated Presidential Libraries.

Statue Of Reagan At The Entrance To Reagan Presidential Library & Museum The 40th President
Of The United States.

Grandpa Bill With Statue Of Reagan At The Entrance To Reagan Presidential Library & Museum

Grandpa Bill In Garden Area Of Reagan Presidential Library & Museum Standing Beside A Slab
Of The Berlin Wall Painted With Flowers And Butterflies

View Of Valley Below Reagan Presidential Library & Museum

View Of Area Around Reagan Presidential Library & Museum. You Can See A Section Of The
Road That Winds Up the Hill To The Library.

One Of Many Signs/Posters Throughout The Museum

One Of Many Signs/Posters Throughout The Museum. My Posting Of 5/19/2013 About The Ronald Reagan Museum At Eureka College In Eureka, Illinois Tells More About His Life There.

Nellie Mentioned In The Above Photograph Was His Mother.

Ronald Reagan After College

Ronald Reagan In Radio Work

Ronald Reagan Announces A Football Game

Ronald Reagan In The 1930's As A Broadcaster. The Following Photograph From His Museum At Eureka College, Eureka, Illinois Explains How He Got The Nickname " Dutch ".

Ronald Reagan's Explanation Of How He Got The Nickname " Dutch ". This Photograph Was Taken At The Reagan Museum At Eureka College, Eureka, Illinois And Reported In My Blog About The Reagan Museum May 19 & 20, 2013.

One Of Many Signs/Posters Throughout The Museum.

Ronald Reagan Comments November 1979

The Turbulent 1970's

Debate Between President Jimmy Carter And Ronald Reagan In 1980

Ronald Reagan Question In 1980 Presidential Debate. This Question Is Still Heard Frequently Today
In The Political Arena

Ronald Reagan's Famous Comment " There You Go Again " Used In The Debate Of Oct., 28, 1980.

Assassination Attempt On President Reagan

White House Situation After Assassination Attempt

Assassination Attempt On President Reagan

Nancy Reagan Learns Of Assassination Attempt

President Reagan Spent 12 Days In The Hospital

Others Injured In Assassination Attempt On President Reagan

Duplication Of President Reagan's Oval Office

Washington Picture In Reagan's Oval Office

Presidential Seal In Ceiling Of Reagan's Oval Office

Presidential Seal Rug In Reagan's Oval Office

Olive Branches Held By The Eagle's Right Talons In Presidential Seal

Arrows Held By The Eagle's Left Talons In The Presidential Seal

Scroll Held By Eagle In Presidential Seal

The Seal of the President looks much like the Great Seal of the United States. The difference is in the " crest " above the bald eagle, where the clouds puffs and most stars fan upward in an arc. On the Great Seal, the constellation of stars is surrounded by the cloud puff. In The Beginning the Seal Of The President was determined by use and custom and there have been many. The seals of most federal agencies are created by statute. On October 25, 1945, President Truman signed an Executive Order Number 9646 that legally specified the design of the Presidential Flag and Seal. A press release was issued to point out the new design which indicated " In the new Coat of Arms, Seal and Flag, the Eagle not only faces to the right - the direction of honor - but also toward the olive branches of peace which it holds in its right talon. Formerly the eagle faced toward the arrows in its left talon - arrows symbolic of war. " In heraldry, the image on the shield's right side has more importance than one on the left. The official 1782 description says the olive branch is held in the eagle's right talon. Heraldic birds traditionally look to the right, unless otherwise specified. The preliminary sketch has the eagle facing the right side with the olive branch which the founders said symbolizes " the power of peace ". The banner the eagle holds in it's beak contains the Latin phrase " E. Pluribus Unum " which means ' Out Of Many One ". Much of this historical material is from John D. MacArthur history of the Great Seal. The study and meaning of all the symbols is very interesting.

In The White House

Executive Mansion ( White House )

Ronald Reagan Comment June 18, 1984

State Gifts Are Protected And Cared For By The National Archives And Records Administration.

Unforgettable Gift A Baby Elephant.

President And Mrs Reagan Received Over 2,000 State Gifts While He Was In Office But One Was Special. This Was A Baby Female Elephant ( Jayathu Meaning Be Thou Victorious ) 18 Months Old When Presented To The Reagan's At A Ceremony On The White House Lawn. The White House Said A Weaned Elephant Would Be A More Appropriate Gift But The Sri Lanka's Said The Cost Of Shipping A Weaned Elephant ( Who Would Be 3 Years Old ) Was To Much For Their Country. When Jayathu Arrived She Was In A Large Crate Along With Several Crates Of Her Formula. Jayathu Had Been Feed A Formula Which Was British Made And The United States Could Not Convert It. This Was The First Visit Of The Sri Lankan President To The United States And It Was Largely Billed As An Image Building Exercise. Not Only Is The Elephant The Symbol For The G. O. P. It is Also The Symbol For The Sri Lankan President's Party, The United National Party. Unfortunately , Jayathu Died Of Unknown Causes Two Months Later At The National Zoological Park In Washington, D. C.

Nancy Reagan's Campaign Against Drugs " Just Say No "

Stem Cell Research

Nancy Reagan Comments On Stem Cell Research. President Reagan Was Diagnosed With
Alzheimer's Disease In 1994.

Winston Churchill Comments About The Iron Curtain

The Iron Curtain

Challenge To Bring Down The Iron Curtain

Ronald Reagan Comments At The Berlin Wall, June 12, 1987

The Berlin Wall Built To Keep East Germans In East Germany.

Janice Reading Signs On A Section Of The Berlin Wall

Enlargement Of Sign On Section Of The Berlin Wall

Nikita Khrushchev Premier & Dictator Of The Soviet Union" We Will Bury You " In Nov. 1956

Enlargement Of Sign On Section Of The Berlin Wall

Enlargement Of Sign On Section Of The Berlin Wall. President Reagan Had To Deal With Many Other Leaders Who Opposed The United States. The Following Photographs Show Them.

Ayatollah Khomeini

Enlargement Of Sign About Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

Fidel Castro

Enlargement Of Sign About Fidel Castro

Yasser Arafat

Enlargement Of Sign About Yasser Arafat

Muammar Gaddhafi

Enlargement Of Sign About Muammar Gaddhafi

Hafez Assad

Enlargement Of Sign About Hafez Assad

Daniel Ortega

Enlargement Of Sign About Daniel Ortega

Peace Through Strength

The Reagan Strategy

What President Reagan Found When He Took Office

How Should We Deal With The U.S.S.R.?

President Reagan Meets With Mikhail Gorbachev Four Times

Four Summits

Always Remember 9/11

Enlargement Of Always Remember

I Was Always Behind Janice As I Stopped To Take Pictures And Read Posters, etc. So When I Was Looking For Her This Is Where I Found Her Mounted On A Statue Of A Horse And She Is Texting Someone To Tell Them What She Is Doing. Riding Right Along With President Reagan

Janice On Statue Of Reagan Horse At His Library And Museum

President Reagan Died June 5, 2004

President Reagan Burial Site

Inscription On Wall Of President Reagan's Burial Site

Ronald Wilson Reagan February 6, 1911 - June 5, 2004

Grandpa Bill Standing Beside Statue Of President And Mrs Reagan

The most interesting part of the museum for many people is the Air Force One Pavilion which is a 90,000 square foot exhibit hanger for the permanent display of the Boeing 707 aircraft utilized as Air Force One during the Reagan Administration as well as six other presidents in its active service life from 1973 to 2001.

In 1990 it became the backup aircraft after the Boeing 747's entered into service and was retired in 2001.

The aircraft was flown to San Bernardina International Airport in September 2001 and presented to the Reagan Foundation. Boeing disassembled the plane and transported it in piece to the library. After construction of the foundation of the Pavilion the plane was reassembled and made ready for display in the museum. The plane sits on pedestals 25 feet designed to simulate actual flight. Guided tours take you through the plane and you see the president and first lady private cabins, his office, galleys, cockpit, staff and press quarters, and the communications center. In addition to Air Force One ( SAM 27000 ) on display is a President Johnson-era Sikorsky VH-3 Sea King helicopter, call sign Marine One as well as a presidential motorcade which consists of a Reagan 1984 presidential parade limousine, a 1982 Los Angeles Police Department police car, two 1980 police motorcycles and a 1986 Secret Service vehicle. In June 1984 President and Mrs Reagan visited the O'Farrell pub in Ballyporeen in the Republic of Ireland. That original pub was relocated to the Pavilion in 2004 and renamed the " Ronald Reagan Pub Snack Bar ". Air Force One is located in a multi-storied, glass enclosed domed pavilion which provides a marvelous view of the surrounding valley and hills. The pavilion is attached to the main museum.

Air Force One. Any Kind Of Aircraft Becomes Air Force One When The President is Aboard

Janice And Grandpa Bill Prepare To Tour Air Force One

Tail Section Of Air Force One Showing Its Number 27000

View From Glass End Of The Air Force One Pavilion

Marine One President Johnson's Helicopter

Tail Of Marine One

Marine One

Presidential Limo And Secret Service Vehicle

Presidential Limo

Fuselage Of Air Force One Leaving San Bernardino International Airport To Be Taken To
The Reagan Museum. This Move Along With The Wing Sections Would Have Been Something
To See As They Trucked These Pieces Up the Mountain To The Museum. The Road Up The
Mountain Is Steep With Some Very Sharp Curves.

Sections Of Air Force One Ready For Transport To The Reagan Museum

Fuselage And Wings Of Air Force One At The Reagan Museum Waiting

To Be Reassembled And Shown In This Photograph At The Museum

Photograph Of Air Force One Parts Waiting For The Pavilion To Be Ready

Photograph In October 2004 When Reassembly Of Air Force One Started In The Pavilion. As I

Recall It Took Them 6 Months To Disassemble The Plane And About 7 Months To Reassemble

And Paint The Plane.

Information About The United States Secret Service

Information About The United States Secret Service. I Doubt If Many, If Any, Of You Knew This. Of Course It Was A Long Time Ago But Significant Information.

Information About The United States Secret Service

Information About The United States Secret Service. From This Brief Review Of Some Details About

The Secret Service One Point Is Clear The Job Of Being President Is A Dangerous One.

Late afternoon when the museum closed Janice and I were outside and could not get back in. I recall the comment of one visitor who said she comes to the museum at least once a year because the items on display are constantly being rotated so there is always a lot of new stuff to see. So we were tired anyway and headed back to Simi Valley to find a motel. We stayed at the Best Western Hotel which was only a few miles from the museum. After getting settled in the hotel off we went to find a place to eat dinner and then settled down for an evening and night of much needed rest. This was a most enjoyable day which meant even more since I got to share it with Janice

I will close this posting realizing there are probably many more things I wanted to include and forgot but I won't forget to remind you that God loves you and so do I.

Grandpa Bill

Comment For The Day:

" Master, it is good for us to be here today " Mark 9: 5.

Grandpa Bill and Black Beauty Travel

Friday, November 1, 2013

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library And Museum, Sept. 3 & 4, 2013

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