We stood in a line that would take us to the Rotunda,the hallowed hall at the heart of the U.S. Capitol where the body of Ronald Wilson Reagan lay in state.
As we looked at our watches, ticking past 1 a.m. on June 10, 2004, we had no idea how long we would be standing in the still summer air. “It’s expected to be five and a half hours from this point,” one guard told us. With a sigh and shrug, we geared up for a long night.
We knew it would be worth it. We weren’t going to miss a chance to pay respects to our favorite American hero. And anyway, the occasion was bringing back personal memories of another shared experience – another all-nighter inspired by the Gipper.
A year a half earlier, when Dan was living in Phoenix and Brad was making a brief weekend visit, we drove through the night to visit the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California. It was during that road trip that we developed the concept for this book.
Sure, already much has been written about our 40th President: memoirs from his close advisors, detailed biographies from historians, and tributes from others whose personal involvement with Reagan had taught them important life lessons. But these books focused on the past, and as we sped through the moonlit desert toward California, our thoughts were about the future.
