On board Air Force One

SIMI VALLEY, California – Yesterday I boarded Air Force One 27000, and although it never took off, I had this out-of-the-world feeling, just thinking that this is the airplane that had transported seven American presidents, from Richard Nixon to the present one, George W. Bush. At present, though, President Bush is using a new plane, known as Air Force One 28000. Bush is the first to use it, we don’t know how many others will inherit it. But Air Force One 27000, which I boarded, had carried Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

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But the presence one feels strongest within the aircraft is that of President Ronald Reagan since, after all, the place where the plane is on exhibit is the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum in this hilltop site of this beautiful part of California state. I was brought here by my nephew Sonnie Boy Ramos and his wife, Mae, after a circuitous trip that went through several cities, starting from Riverside, to Los Angeles downtown then south, through CA-118 where, after about an hour’s drive, we finally reached. The winding uphill road called Presidential Drive that has big pictures of past presidents lining it up to the center itself, a beautifully landscaped area with colorful gardens and grassy areas which, however, has warnings posted to “Beware of Rattlesnakes”.

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The first place we visited was the burial place of President Reagan, a simple site with a plain marker surrounded by low bushes. From there you get an awe-inspiring view of surrounding low-lying hills with some very big estates in the distance. Within the building are various memorabilia on Reagan’s life including his background as a movie actor, his first political sortie as governor of California, and his triumph as the 40th president of the U.S. I was very fascinated by the replica of the famous or notorious Oval Office, which has the authentic desk he had used as governor and president, and even the simple throw pillows on the sofa. I whispered loudly, “Is this where he and Monica…?” and earned an amused look from the lady manning the office.

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The presence of Nancy Reagan is, of course, also very strong. After all she was largely instrumental in setting up the library and museum and her personality is stamped all over the place. One section is designated for her outfits, from her simplest suits – her wedding dress was one – to the most elegant gowns, many of which we had seen in photographs published in newspapers and magazines. I looked for the Philippine terno that I heard had been exhibited there earlier and captioned as a gift from Imelda Marcos but it was no longer there. There was only a small mother-of-pearl purse with what looked like a real gold clasp and chain, said to have come from the Marcoses. Most of her gowns were labeled “James Galanos”, obviously her favorite couturier. By the way, her life-sized portrait in a vivid red gown, as thin as a wraith with only her face lighted up, smiles at you at the entrance.

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The climax of the visit was, of course, the view of, and tour of Air Force One. Who could believe an entire, real, actual aircraft this huge could be enclosed inside a glass-roofed and walled structure? But it was done by dismantling the plane and putting it back together inside. Several Filipinos were involved in this job, I was told. However, picture-taking was not allowed inside the plane and when I was about to steal a shoot with my cellphone, Sonnie pointed to the security camera above my head! Whew!

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Inside there is an office section, a conference section, Nancy’s lounge, but no beds or cots. We were told the divans unfolded for sleeping. There are several square tables in the staff area and I wondered if they played mahjong there. Maybe blackjack? All over the plane as in most sections of the museum, were jars of colorful jelly beans, a favorite of Reagan. There is a pantry for the President’s group and another for the staff. But what delighted me most was the sight of an IBM electric typewriter near the President’s office. It was exactly the same model and color as the one I have in my office, the one I borrowed from my brother Enggol (Pros)! Imagine that.

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The whole library and museum was built and is maintained by donations from Reagan’s friends and admirers and staffed largely by volunteers many of them elderly. I guess I had donated, inadvertently, to the ‘artifacts’ there because I left my sunglasses near the life-sized portrait of Ronald Reagan when we had our photos taken. I hope they appreciate it. Believe it or not, we traveled about 250 miles yesterday!*

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