Chuck Hagel: “on January 20, 1981, Ronald Reagan, after being sworn in as the 40th President of the United States, looked out over The…”

“on January 20, 1981, Ronald Reagan, after being sworn in as the 40th President of the United States, looked out over The Mall and addressed the Nation. He told us that the challenges of our day required: Our best effort, and our willingness to believe in ourselves and to believe in our capacity to perform great deeds; to believe that together, with God's help, we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us. And, after all, why shouldn't we believe that? We are Americans. I remember the celebrations that evening as if they happened yesterday. It was a bitterly cold evening. As our Nation celebrated a new beginning, it was as if the cold January winds swept away a nation's doubts and fears and replaced them with a renewed American spirit. Ronald Reagan was a unique American leader who understood the greatness and the goodness of America. He knew who he was and what he believed. Over the last century, no American President was as well grounded as Ronald Reagan. He had faith and confidence in the people of America, and that trust was reciprocated. As much as anyone who came before or after him, Ronald Reagan possessed an innate understanding of the significance of the American Presidency. Ronald and Nancy Reagan set the gold-standard for grace, dignity and class in the White House. Reagan understood the weight and consequences of his office beyond the borders of the United States. The world looked to him as a standard bearer of freedom.”