Funeral For A Leader

Any time the President of the United States goes somewhere, he departs from Andrews Air Force Base outside DC. And when he returns home, that's where he lands. Indeed, it's a matter of routine. After all, it's the facility that hosts the planes that serve as Air Force One.

During his eight years as President, Ronald Reagan flew in and out of Andrews hundreds of times. Perhaps someone somewhere even has a precise count. But regardless of the actual number, it was his arrival at Andrews this afternoon at 4:50 PM that was to be Reagan's most memorable, for it was also to be his very last.

DC had spent the last several days preparing for its first state funeral in over 30 years. And if you look at it simply in terms of the pomp, pageantry, and solemnity of the event, and think about the logistics involved in pulling it off, it's all very impressive. The army's Third Infantry, which handles funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, performed its duties today with nothing short of complete precision and total dignity.

But the impressive ceremonies are only a small part of the story.

We all saw the images of people lining the roads in California as Reagan's hearse went by, and more of the same was expected here. However, I don't think anyone thought it would occur on the scale which it did. Literally hundreds of thousands of people braved the day's oppressive heat and lined both sides of Constitution Avenue for a momentary glimpse of the coffin. And despite all those thousands of people, there was complete silence as the casket was moved from the hearse to the caisson, and continued on to the Capitol.

Our 40th President certainly had his naysayers, and that's fine. There's always someone somewhere blaming everyone else for the world's problems. But what was seen in downtown DC today were the multitudes of ordinary Americans who loved and respected Ronald Reagan. They came out to offer their heartfelt thanks, and their final goodbyes.

---------------Dana Summers, Orlando Sentinel

P.S.
Ever wonder what's going through the minds of those service men and women who provide the backdrop for these stately and somber proceedings? Stephen Hunter normally writes movie reviews for the Washington Post. Today, however, he has penned a piece about Dwight Eisenhower's funeral, and his own brief tour in the Third Infantry at the time. It's worth reading.

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Some People still Don't Get It
In the latest bit of evidence that some people are just too stupid to be allowed to mingle with the rest of society, Lilia Belkova refused to heed flight attendant's instructions to put down her cell phone as her plane began to taxi towards the runway. Then one of the two Air Marshals on board repeated the request, and Ms. Belkova slapped him upside the head.

Bad idea.

Ms. Belkova is currently in a Miami area jail awaiting arraignment. No word on whether she still has her phone, which in this case would give new meaning to the term cell phone.