Fondly Remembering President Reagan

By Maryland Senator Roy Dyson

He's been gone for 10 years, really. Officially, President Ronald Reagan's
death on Saturday finalized his life, but the terrible scourge of Alzheimer's Disease robbed us of so many quality years we could have enjoyed with our
former president had he not had that affliction.

If he not contracted Alzheimer's, I'm sure President Reagan would have
served as one of our great national statesmen after his presidency because
he was such a decent and fine person whose message of hope and decency
resonated not with just Republicans, but also with many Democrats such as
myself.

However, the grace with which he and his beloved wife Nancy handled his
ailment was an inspiration to everyone and I'm sure will energize the race
to cure this insidious disease.

So now that he is at peace; it is time to recall the greatness of a man who
emboldened America and set about the end of the Cold War.

My friendship with President Reagan began in 1980 when we were both elected
to federal office. He to the presidency, me to the United States House of
Representatives. While we disagreed on some issues, we tended to agree more
often than not.

I was a first-term Democratic U.S. Congressman assigned to the House Armed
Services Committee when I first came to Washington to serve all of Southern
Maryland, the Eastern Shore and Harford County in 1981.

It was an interesting time indeed to be a member of this committee at this
time in history.

President Reagan rightfully thought that a strong national defense was vital
to ensuring that our country remain the strongest, best prepared military in
the world. The aggressive Soviet Union was and had been pursuing the same
goal for years. I met with President Reagan many times throughout his
eight-year presidency.

He was a man who put you at immediate ease. He had no pretenses and his word
was golden. It has been said over and over again in the many loving tributes
about the man that he loved America and that he was an unwavering optimist.
I saw all of this first hand. Of all the public officials I've ever been
around, President Reagan stands as one of the finest.

As I have said, he has been gone in mind, at least, for many years. The last
few days since his death have given me reason not to mourn, but to celebrate
a great American life. I consider it a great honor to have known and worked
so closely on matters of global importance with a man I can honestly call my
friend.
(Editor's Note:  Roy Dyson was elected to the first of five terms to the United States Congress on the same day that Ronald Reagan stunned the nation with his big win over President Jimmy Carter.  Dyson was one of about 40 House Democrats who voted with Reagan on key issues, winning the President's praise for putting the nation first before political party.  Since 1994 Dyson has been elected to three terms in the Maryland State Senate.