If this doesn't make you proud...

[Rubberhead*]

Long before a teal season was even a twinkle in the eyes of SC duck hunters, I was woken out of a dead sleep by pounding on my door. It was 5 o’clock the morning of September 20, 1983 and I opened to door to see a good friend from high school, Paul, standing there with his pillow under his arm. He had just gotten thrown out of his dorm on USC’s Horseshoe by the Secret Service and needed a place to crash prior to his morning classes.

President Ronald Reagan was scheduled to give the convocation address but some last minute security change moved him to the Horseshoe so they swept out the area around were Reagan would speak. They threw the boys out first waiting until a little later in the morning to clear out the girl's dorms that form the other sides of the Horseshoe. (As a side note; this same Paul ran for US Congress in 2008 as a Republican but was beat in the primaries by then incumbent Henry Brown.)

They took our umbrellas as we entered the gated-off Horseshoe but the infrequent and light rain was a small price to pay for the privilege of being able to actually see, with my own eyes, President Ronald Reagan. The speech so inspired the attending ROTC members that they left immediately after the event and beat-up a handful of liberal protestors that were gathered outside of teh secured area. I seem to recall the school newspaper taking the side of the protestors…go figure. A counter-culture rag called the Lil' Bird took the side of the ROTC but that was just their usual schtick.

Here’s President Reagan’s speech:
http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archive...983/92083c.htm

[c-dub]

"We know it's still flying, but it's up to us to see that it continues to fly over a land that is free and brave."

Amen. I can only hope it stays that way for my son and his children.

[803]

cool picture

[Hoke]

Was there as a freshman. Spoke with Sam Donaldson on the sidewalk.