I admired Ronald Reagan when he was elected to office. I was 16 and very impressionable. Although I liked President Carter too (as any 16-year-old likes a president), and still do, RR had a profound effect on me. I joined the Army because I believed in stopping the spread of communism and the Cold War was constantly a reminder of what may come.
I personally experienced the impact of communism when I was even younger. For years, it kept my dad from coming overseas and living with us. Mail coming from Europe was constantly censored and entire paragraphs were stricken from the pages. I had no pictures or personal notes from him. We knew little of what was really going on and I am sure our letters might not even made it to relatives. Many who immigrated to the US told us stories of family members disappearing overnight, while everyone slept, never to be heard from again. Of course, we all learned about the atrocities of Stalin and the subsequent oppressive governments engaged in purges and executions in Soviet satellite states of Eastern Europe. I believed and agreed with RR when he called the USSR an "evil empire", so I enlisted at 18 to halt the spread of communism!
But I digress...
Anyway, I love the way this letter was written and wanted to share it.
My Fellow Americans,
I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Upon learning this news, Nancy and I had to decide whether as private citizens we would keep this a private matter or whether we would make this news known in a public way.
In the past Nancy suffered from breast cancer and I had my cancer surgeries. We found through our open disclosures we were able to raise public awareness. We were happy that as a result, many more people underwent testing.
They were treated in early stages and able to return to normal, healthy lives.
So now, we feel it is important to share it with you. In opening our hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition. Perhaps it will encourage a clearer understanding of the individuals and families who are affected by it.
At the moment I feel just fine. I intend to live the remainder of the years God gives me on this earth doing the things I have always done. I will continue to share life’s journey with my beloved Nancy and my family. I plan to enjoy the great outdoors and stay in touch with my friends and supporters.
Unfortunately, as Alzheimer’s Disease progresses, the family often bears a heavy burden. I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience. When the time comes I am confident that with your help she will face it with faith and courage.
In closing let me thank you, the American people for giving me the great honor of allowing me to serve as your President. When the Lord calls me home, whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.
I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.
Thank you, my friends. May God always bless you.
Sincerely,
Ronald Reagan
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