Gilbert Gutknecht: “tonight I rise to express my appreciation for President Ronald Wilson Reagan. Ronald Reagan will forever be remembered…”

“tonight I rise to express my appreciation for President Ronald Wilson Reagan. Ronald Reagan will forever be remembered for having won the Cold War without firing a shot. He rebuilt our defenses and strengthened our economy, but most important, he made us believe in ourselves, to believe in our capacity to perform great deeds. Demeaned as a B-grade actor, underestimated by his adversaries, both domestic and international, he shouldered on with incurable optimism. He preached and lived the basic American values. Things like faith, family, freedom, work and personal responsibility were more than words. Ronald Reagan had an enormous empathy for the American people. He had a magic smile that cheered us. His tears were real when tragedy came our way. The title of his autobiography, ``An American Life,'' was appropriate. He was the American President in the American century. As he turned and saluted, boarding Marine One for the last time, I remember turning to my wife and saying, ``He was a long time coming; he'll be a long time gone.'' Mr. President, on behalf of a grateful Nation, permit me to say thank you, happy birthday and may God bless you.”