For this man, this president, tradition should have been broken. The
missing
man was a Leader. The lead position should have been the vacant one.

Not intending this as any political statement,, just an observation -
Perhaps the reason they do it that way for a president as well, is that
typically presidents usually order the military to war and the president
stays behind while the soldiers actually go into the battle, that is, the
president doesn't physically lead the soldiers into battle themselves.

On a side note: I can't claim to be one of Regan's political fans, but
watching his draped casket come down the stairs with his widow waiting was
indeed a somber moment,, looking at Nancy standing in the rain under the
umbrella.

While watching the latter, I did encounter a curious errant thought that
passed through my mind while watching that casket being carried down the
steps with music playing; how, maybe at that same moment in some part of our
country there was a widow standing alone by a graveside with only herself
(all her friend's and family had passed on), the body of her spouse, a
couple of cemetery workers and the minister in attendance and there was no
fanfare or special music, yet her loss,, to her,,, was crushing and deeply
profound - but most people would never know of the loss of her lifelong
partner and would never hear her husband's name. Just the way it
is..........

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Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL
Student-IASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond!
Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -