Thirty years ago, Ronald Reagan was inaugurated.
I was in the Indian Ocean aboard USS Ranger. We were in theater due to the Jimmy the Dhimmi induced hostage crisis in Iran.
Fifty years ago, John Kennedy was inaugurated. I was in the first grade. A mere child of six.
I was brought up to be a good democrat. With a family full of schoolteachers, what else would happen? And I was. Then came the Naval Career and changes. Those changes started with Jimmy Carter.
I still remember the assassination of JFK. I was nine, in the fourth grade. To young to remember a lot. I do remember the teachers on my mom's side in abject grief. Then later on being indoctrinated as to Kennedy's impending Sainthood.
Then came the years with Jimmy. After the bad times of the Nixon resignation and Gerald Ford. At least Jerry Ford tried to do right. But Jimmy turned out to be such an incompetent individual that the forces suffered. After that I never voted for a Democrat for president, again. Couldn't do it. And understand Carter beat out senator Gary Hart of Colorado and...........drum roll...........Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown of California. All Brown had was Linda Ronstadt as his trophy friend. Hart had extra marital affair issues also. At least Carter did't cheat on Roslyn. The only good quality the man had.
So having been reared in the Church of Kennedy Infallibility, I guess I became a heretic.
Ronnie Reagan loved us as I found out. It was there for all to see.
Most of my old shipmates and I are in agreement that we love him in return. He did things for us.
On the whole I have to go with Reagan as the Best President I ever served.
I was anxiously awaiting the outcome of my cross-training application in 1980. It all worked out and I found myself in London six months later in a new job, in a new place. BEST assignment, evah.
ReplyDeleteI was in high school for JFK's inauguration... the ceremony didn't mean a lot to me at the time, seein' as how I was tryin' to get laid... emphasis on the tryin' bits. Life was a lot harder before The Pill.
I remember JFK's assassination VIVIDLY. I was in basic electronics training at Keesler Airplane Patch and the entire freakin' WORLD stopped. We spent the rest of the day in front of a teevee and marched back to the barracks in complete silence. After our formation was dismissed we ALL went to the dayroom to continue the teevee vigil. That was a VERY bad day.
Finally: Reagan was the impetus for my conversion from moonbat to adult. I agree with you about the "best president I served under," and I served under a bunch.