One of my readers very kindly sent me the link to Ronald Reagan's speech delivered on the 40th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1984. I thought it may be of interest to some of you.
Regardless of what you may think of Reagan it was a brilliant speech in which he mentions Mr Millin and Lord Lovat by name.
Here's an excerpt but do read the whole thing:
Do you remember the story of Bill Millin of the 51st Highlanders? Forty years ago today, British troops were pinned down near a bridge, waiting desperately for help. Suddenly, they heard the sound of bagpipes, and some thought they were dreaming. Well, they weren’t. They looked up and saw Bill Millin with his bagpipes, leading the reinforcements and ignoring the smack of the bullets into the ground around him. Lord Lovat was with him — Lord Lovat of Scotland, who calmly announced when he got to the bridge, “Sorry I’m a few minutes late,” as if he’d been delayed by a traffic jam, when in truth he’d just come from the bloody fighting on Sword Beach, which he and his men had just taken.
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8 comments:
Reagan was a fine public speaker and has many fine speeches to his name.
It was Spitting Image and the way they portayed him to my generation that makes people of my age think he was a buffoon when the reality was quite different.
He was a much better President than he was an actor Rab.
I was too young to see him at the pictures! ;o)
Careful now Rab, I was young as well. ;) I remember he was very wooden when acting but that was just my impression.
I didn't think much of Ronald Regan when he first entered the Whitehouse, I thought the Yanks had gone even dafter than they usually are for electiing him.
However, by the time his term in office came to an end I had a different opinion of him and a great deal of respect.
Me too Derek. What I particularly remember was Reagan's manners. He was always a gentleman.
We don't see that quality in today's leaders.
Subrosa, you said "we don't see that quality in today's leaders" regarding Regan's manners. That's because, despite standing in many elections, I haven't been elected yet!
Keep at it Derek. The only failures in life are those who don't try.
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