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 I have been very fortunate in my working life to be able to do a job for the last 25 years that I like. Not many people can say that. I have seen things and met people that most people never get a chance to. Musicians, actors, comedians, sports figures, and even a couple of Penthouse Pet’s of the Year. Yeah it’s a good gig if you can get it.
I sell high end shipping cases to ship sensitive electronic equipment, wardrobes, musical instruments, sporting gear, and anything else you can think of. I have designed and sold cases that have held everything from as small as a single photographic slide to ones that hold a satellite. As we say in the case biz, everything needs to go into a case.
So in 1992 when I got a phone call from one of my customers saying that he needed me to design a case for former President Ronald Reagan I was not surprised. I had in the past designed cases for two other former Presidents, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, so I had a pretty good idea about what he needed.
As with his predecessors, President Reagan was doing what all former Presidents do, hitting the lecture circuit. And the one thing that a President takes with him when doing a lecture, other than his secret service staff, is his Presidential Podium. It really isn’t any different than any other podium except for two things, one it has the Presidential seal on it and second that it belongs to the President.
So after receiving the dimensions on the two pieces involved I designed, built, and had the case delivered. As with many orders I thought that would be the end of the story and I wouldn’t hear any more about it. I usually don’t hear anything more unless something is wrong, like what is supposed to go in doesn’t fit. So like we also say in the case business, no news is good news.
But a couple of days later I got a call from my customer and the message referenced President Reagan. When I get messages like that I always begin thinking the worst, which I immediately did. But when I called my customer back it was not as serious as my imagination had led me to believe. The only thing that was needed was to have the case stenciled with the President’s name. Not a problem I told him, I would do what I usually do and send one of my drivers over and he could stencil it on for him.
“Well” my customer said, “The President would like you to come over and do it yourself so he could also thank you personally for the good job you did on the cases.” Well I certainly wasn’t expecting that. “OK” I said, how could I say no to the “Great Communicator?” So after giving him my social security number for a security check, I was told I would be contacted with a day and time for my Presidential appointment. I was called back and told it would be at 11AM the day after next.
During the next two days I thought about what to expect once I arrived. My imagination was going through all sorts of possible scenarios. Would I be so nervous that I would trip over my own feet as I entered? Would I be so tongue-tied that the words trying to exit my mouth would come out in some sort of unintelligible gibberish leaving the President confused and the secret service suspicious?
But why should I be nervous? I had met many famous and powerful people over the last 13 years and for some reason it didn’t faze me in the least. I had met and worked with many of the musicians whom I had idolized in my youth and whose music helped shape my life and I didn’t bat an eye or felt the slightest of butterflies in my stomach. How could this be that different?
Well the answers came as I began to reflect on what this man had accomplished during his 8 years in office. He with Mikhail Gorbachev had brought and end to the Cold War. He survived an assassination attempt. He was responsible for restoring our complacent nation’s patriotism. A man who, when he left office, was more popular than when he entered it And most amazingly by the end of his first term in office convinced Bill Dunn, a lifelong Democratic, to vote for a Republican president for the first and only time in his life.
When the day came I stopped and picked up my customer and we made our way over to “Rawhide’s” office, the code name that the secret service gave him. He shared it with his wife Nancy or “Rainbow” as the secret service called her. It occupied the top floor of a skyscraper in West Los Angeles. From the second we entered the lobby of the building I knew that this was no average office visit and by no means were we in Kansas anymore. We had entered OZ and we were on the way to see the Wizard.
The security was tighter than I could have imagined. Once we had gotten our clearance at the lobby desk we were escorted to a special elevator where the secret service checked the interior before we entered and then produced a special key that permitted the elevator to reach the top floor.
When the doors opened another secret service agent who wanted to inspect the contents of my briefcase greeted us. Directly behind him was what looked like a 4-inch thick bulletproof glass wall and door. Once we passed through into the next area there was a log that all visitors were requested to sign before entering the main office. When I glanced at the people who signed in before me I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was a virtual who’s who of world leaders. All of a sudden beads of sweat began to form on my brow.
We were now ushered into a very large conference room where the cases were sitting. I immediately opened my briefcase to start stenciling. As I did there was another secret service agent standing right behind me checking out its contents. Once I was done we walked around the conference room looking at the memorabilia all of which is now on display behind glass at the Reagan Library.
Soon the President’s assistant came to get us and lead us to the door of the President’s office. At this point he gave us instructions on the fact that we were not to enter the office until we were announced. Once we entered we were to address him only as Mister President. I was to find out later that it doesn’t make any difference if the President is in office or not, once The President, always The President.
So into the office he goes as we wait outside, I have officially broken out into a cold sweat. From inside the office I hear the words, “Mister President may I please present Mister Bill Dunn.” The only way to describe how I felt at that moment is if you have ever done any stage acting it was like walking on stage in the first scene of the play in front of a full house. Butterflies don’t begin to describe it.
As soon as I turned the corner into his office I was greeted at first by a series of flashes coming from the camera of the in house photographer. He would continue to take pictures during the course of our visit as he does with every visitor. This was evidenced by a framed picture on the book case next to us of Reagan greeting Gorbachev in the very space that I now occupied.
My nervousness quickly dissipated as the President approached us hand outstretched, apologizing for his casual attire as he was going to play golf later in the day. His handshake was firm and genuine and as he looked me straight in the eye he made me feel at ease and truly welcome in his inner sanctuary.
After mentioning his golf game he asked if I played and once I answered in the affirmative that set the topic of conversation for the next ten minutes. He telling a golf story and me reciprocating with one of my own. To this day I can’t remember either one, all I know is that we both laughed at each other’s stories as though we meant it.
What I do remember, and will never forget, was the man’s presence. Like I said before, I have met a lot of people in my life but never have I been with one who exhibited such an aura. It was like you couldn’t look away from him even if you wanted to. I was so transfixed by his every word and movement that it was as if I was hypnotized. Until his aide spoke the words “Mister President your next appointment will be coming soon” and just like that the moment was over.
As I left it was as though I had dreamed the whole thing. Had it not been for the pictures I received later I might still have questioned its reality to this day. As to those of you out there that say you would not be nervous meeting President Reagan, or been in awe of the experience, I would have to say well, we will never know.
A couple of years later when I heard that the Evil Beast of Alzheimer’s had gotten its fierce grip on him I was deeply saddened. To think that a man so charismatic and full of life, even at his advanced age, would not remember those stories that once regaled heads of state, and the American people, would be a loss to all of us.
With his passing this week the entire nation mourns. Even those who did not agree with his politics while in office now in reflection are showing him respect as the truly great leader that he was and the legacy he leaves behind. Sure he made mistakes, what human being doesn’t? But he came along at a time when we needed a real cowboy and flag-waving patriot and he really played the part to the hilt.
I will always be thankful for those few minutes he spared to show me what true presence and charisma was all about.
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