Dead Presidents

Since it’s President Reagan’s birthday, here’s one of my favorite of his speeches.  I’ve mentioned before how great Reagan was when he reassured the nation following the explosion of the Space ShuttleChallenger. 

This is an American President at his best — no politics, no fluff, no bullshit — just a touching tribute to some of our world’s greatest heroes.  On June 6, 1984, President Reagan gathered with world leaders on the beaches of Normandy and honored “the boys of Pointe du Hoc” who landed their during the D-Day Invasion 40 years earlier. 

As the grandson of someone who participated in the D-Day invasion, this is one of my favorite speeches by anybody, and it makes me proud.  Not proud to be an American or proud to be of a certain political affiliation.  It makes me proud that our grandfathers were giants and heroes.  It just makes me proud, and Reagan speaks to that pride in timeless words in this speech.