by Larry Greenfield, 2011 Liberty Education Tours Director

Part 1 - Washington, D.C.
The Reagan Legacy Foundation 2011 Liberty Education Tours began in Washington, D.C., as our students enjoyed the Young America’s Foundation National Conservative Student Conference (www.yaf.org).  Thirteen international students, ages 17-20, explored American politics in five days full of seminars and historical site visits.

Featured conference speakers included U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Mike Lee, and Congressmen Allen West and Jim Jordan, along with journalists and commentators Jonah Goldberg, Steve Hayes, Rich Lowry, Stephen Moore, Ann Coulter, and Dr. Burt Folsom.

Many of the speakers warmly embraced the legacy of President Reagan and his successful economic policies which stand in sharp contrast to President Obama’s economic agenda.

The LET students toured Washington, D.C., with visits to the U.S. Capitol, the White House, Georgetown, and the Jefferson, Lincoln, and FDR Memorials.

Czech student Lucie Charvatova was thrilled to enjoy the night tour of the Monuments. “It was a beautiful evening, and the monuments were very special to see,” she said.  “I enjoy my new American friends very much, but they eat a bit differently.”

Javier Reyes, from Watts, California, also enjoyed the historical monuments, with his favorite being the Lincoln Memorial.

Celeste Maria Godinez Dubon of Los Angeles admired Professor Burt Folsom, who provided “exceptionally entertaining and informative accounts of the successful Coolidge Administration as compared to the lengthy depression era policies of President Roosevelt.”   Ronald Reagan admired President Coolidge, who turned a 12% unemployment rate into a six year run of only 3.3%.

John Thomas Justus from Cleveland, Georgia was fully engaged with the outstanding line-up of speakers at the YAF conference.  “The thoughtful lecturers offered  insightful contemporary political analysis of the economy and debt ceiling issue as well as our national security concerns as Americans.  But they also were rooted in founding principles and constitutionalism,” he observed.  John Thomas most enjoyed Senator Rubio and Rep. Allen West for their articulation of principles and personal character.  And Jonah Goldberg was favored for his witticism.

Part 2 - Chicago, Illinois
We arrived Chicago and were joined by Michael and Colleen Reagan and the grandchildren of President Reagan, Ashley Reagan and Cameron Reagan.

Michael and his children threw out the “first pitch” at the Cubs Game on August 6, 2011, at Reagan Day at Wrigley Field.   He threw a strike, the Cubbies won their 7th game in row, 11-4, over the Reds, and the weather turned beautiful.

The spirit of Ronald Reagan must be with us.  The Gipper is still a Winner!

After the festivities and fun on the diamond, the LET group enjoyed visiting a beautiful church, Our Lady of Mt Carmel, and then it was Chicago’s famous deep dish pizza for all at Giordano’s.

The final stop of a perfect, mild, Chicago day was the Chicago skyline around Lake Shore Drive, featuring Lallapalooza and a lovely photo op overlooking one of America’s cities.

Part 3 - Illinois Continued, The Reagan Trail
Michael Reagan and his son Cameron hosted the LET students for a special two-day bus tour along the “Reagan Trail” covering several small towns in Illinois.

First up was the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield.  While Lincoln was born in Kentucky, he practiced law in Illinois.   We visited the tomb of Abraham Lincoln, before enjoying the meaningful Museum which commemorates the Presidency of the 16th U.S. President.  Lincoln was elected in 1860 and 1864, and the father of the Republican Party also saw our nation through the Civil War.

Lincoln lived a bittersweet life...suffering business and electoral defeat and personal tragedy, as well as huge accomplishments such as the Emancipation Proclamation and the victory of securing the American Union.

Derided by the media, Lincoln’s perseverance, wit and wisdom, and brilliant ties to the American founding won over the American people and his death came to see him as the martyred champion of liberty and equality that matched the great spirit of the Revolutionary patriots.

Lincoln believed Americans were conceived in liberty, and that a new birth of freedom had extended the promise of the founders to all.

President Ronald Reagan, the only U.S. President actually born in Illinois, was often generous to his native state, the land of Lincoln, and he was inspired by Abraham Lincoln, father of the modern GOP.

Part 4 - Reagan’s Alma Mater, Eureka College
The Reagan Centennial celebration reached another milestone when Michael Reagan led the 2011 LET students to Eureka College, alma mater of Ronald Reagan. The beautiful campus hosted a wreath placing dedication in the Peace Garden, in honor and memory of the 10th anniversary of the passing of Michael’s sister Maureen Reagan, daughter of Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman.

John Morris and the Administrative Leadership of Eureka College hosted a BBQ dinner and warm summer remembrance of the student days of Ronald Reagan.  “Dutch” Reagan performed in 14 plays, captained the swim team, wrote for the school paper, and played right guard on the football team.   He was a generous, dedicated student leader who passionately supported Eureka College all his adult life, saying that “everything good that happened to me began here at Eureka College.”

The LET students were inspired to learn more about these formative years of Ronald Reagan. Michael Reagan thanked the Eureka College Ronald W. Reagan Society for their dedication to spirit and celebration of this heartland institution and the economics and sociology degrees Reagan earned in his four wonderful years on campus.

It is interesting to note that Eureka is also the state motto of Ronald Reagan’s beloved California. He never forgot the people and studies and activities of his beloved alma mater founded in 1855 on February 6, also, magically, Ronald Reagan’s birthday as well.