My Reagan Story

[Richard Pipkins]

In 1980 I was a law student at the University of Southern California. On election night I was about to have dinner when I heard a radio broadcast which said that we were less than an hour away from a Reagan national victory, and that the celebration would be held at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. Hearing that, I dropped everything and headed for the Century Plaza.

As I entered the hotel, and then the Crown Ballroom, there was something in the air that suggested that an earthshaking event was about to occur. For one thing you could tell that Secret Service presence in the Ballroom was increasing by the second, and for another, the number of press representatives from all over the world seemed to be expanding exponentially. Within just a few minutes the celebration really began and onto the stage came “candidate” Reagan, Nancy Reagan, and their closest aides. By this point I had made my way to the stage’s edge, probably less than ten feet from “Mr.” Reagan, who was directly in front of me and on a raised stage slightly less than shoulder height. Good news was announced about the Reagan election successes all across the nation, a landslide in fact, and in just a few seconds I saw “candidate” Reagan magically transformed into “President-Elect” Reagan. This was a truly memorable moment in my life. I was present, not ten feet from Mr. & Mrs. Reagan, when it was announced that enough state-by-state victories had occurred for “Mr.” Reagan to be proclaimed the President-Elect. I will never forget the confident smile on his face and the happiness we all felt.

Then I almost became a part of the story. A giant sheet cake, about four feet by six feet, was brought onto stage that depicted the United States, with all of the Reagan victory states painted in “Reagan Red”. The Reagans and their aides were holding the cake up vertically so the television cameras could see all of the Reagan Red and then somehow the cake momentarily slipped from their hands and almost fell right into the audience. I was in the first row, looking up and smiling, which is an image the national media captured as the President-Elect, at the end of the giant cake and right above me, caught the cake a split second before his “landslide” became a “cake slide” that would have covered me in Reagan Red cake icing. I will never forget President-Elect Reagan looking directly at me and flashing a knowing smile that said so much more than “sorry about that”. Minutes later I had the great honor of shaking hands with President-Elect Reagan and wishing him well. He again apologized for almost covering me in cake and icing; we laughed together about the incident, and from that evening on I felt a special connection to the Reagan family and knew in my heart that America and the world would never be the same. The Reagan era of new hope and new ideals had begun and I had been a witness to history.

[JohnnyYuma]

GREAT !!
What a moment ,eh ?
And at that moment , nobody truly knew the
true magnitude of that election .....
[img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]
I met Mrs. Reagan at a fundraisr , but never had the privilege of even being at the same place as Pres. Reagan ...

[CatKozTX]

Great story Richard! That's one worthy of being passed from one generation to the next! [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

Welcome to the board! Come back and post often!

[Edith Piaf]

bienevue (welcome) what a nice story

this french lady met maureen reagan once, what a nice woman. i love the reagans they are such a kind family and the love that ron and nancy share is really special

[Debi]

Growing up in California when president Reagan was govenor Reagan, we school children had the oppourtunity to meet him at his office in the capital building. I was in the 3rd grade living in Sacramento. What an honor I felt to meet this great man. He did more for the state of California than anyone has since. This trip made such a lasting impression on me. I have since always been a big Reagan fan.

[Jessie]

[img]graemlins/hello.gif[/img] Richard and Debi! Welcome and thanks for sharing such great experiences!

[Edith Piaf]

you are very fortunate to have met acquaintance avec ronald reagan.

[Suzy]

I really enjoyed your story and I can picture his face as he smiled at you when you were saved from the cake!!!!! He has a wonderful smile!!!!