You know you are at a pretty amazing event when the number of United States Military personnel in 
dress uniform make up a pretty big percentage of the crowd. Well, that was the case last night when my dad and I were the guests of Gala Chairman Brad Freeman for a dinner banquet for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation where President George Herbert Walker Bush was presented with the Foundation’s 2007 Ronald Reagan Freedom Award, with nearly a thousand guests on hand in the main ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Former President Bush and Nancy Reagan were both escorted into the dinner, and later onto the stage, by a pair of very sharp looking Marine Sergeants. The Master of Ceremonies was none other than Merv Griffin, a Foundation Board Member, and at one time the owner of the hotel (for a moment there were flashbacks to an old Dean Martin Roast program as Griffen tossed a barb at veteran comedian Don Rickles, who was in attendance).
There was a 
video presentation from President Bush who could not attend the gala, where he congratulated his dad on receiving this honor. The award itself was given to Bush by Nancy Reagan, after the President was given an introduction by former White House Chief of Staff and family friend Andrew Card, and after we were all treated to an amazing video montage of the life and career of George H.W. Bush.
President Bush spoke for about ten minutes, and was actually pretty funny. He had a lot of very complimentary things to say about Ronald Reagan, and in what was the most amazing display of humility, Bush actually lamented that he did not have the amazing communications skills of Reagan. He wondered aloud that if he could have connected with the American people like Reagan did, perhaps he would not have lost his re-election bid. He spoke about the wonderful relationship that the two shared, and how Reagan well he was treated by the Gipper.
**There is more – click the link**
February 7th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Great report, Jon!
One thing, though. Students at the Naval Academy are not cadets, they’re midshipmen.
February 8th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Hi Jon! Glad you had fun. But are you seriously calling Kenneth Starr a “great American”?!! Oh brother, does that give me a chuckle! :-)