Reagan inspired Upstate residents

e-mail this story More details Related Online extra • Reagan photo gallery • Reagan's presidency • Reagan's life • Discuss Reagan's presidency and legacy in our online message boards

"It's morning again in America."

Those five words from a Ronald Reagan campaign ad in 1984 signaled the country's newfound belief in itself.

After a decade that saw America pull out of Vietnam, Watergate, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and ended with American hostages in Tehran, Greenville residents said the actor-turned-president made patriotism cool again.

Or perhaps, in the language of the time, awesome or rad.

And even at the height of nuclear tensions with the Soviet Union, tensions that opponents said Reagan fueled, Taylors resident Linda Edmond said she "felt safe and secure with him as president."

"He was so patriotic that it was easy for us to be patriotic," said her husband, Lloyd.

Flip Simpson, 39, of Spartanburg, said Reagan brought a charisma back to the White House that was powerful and healing after the nation's unsettling political times of Richard Nixon and economic travails of Jimmy Carter.

"To me, Mr. Reagan was the first one (president) to get back in the White House that really had the charisma, him being an ex-movie star and all," Simpson said. "He had a great attitude and he knew how to communicate with the nation. He knew how to come across to the public."

Greenville Mayor Knox White, downtown Saturday to attend an Upstate Shakespeare Festival performance, said Reagan "showed that it was possible to be a successful president."

"At that time, with the economy being so poor, the thought was that nobody would be president for more than one term again," White said. "After a string of unsuccessful presidents, it was refreshing to see a successful presidency."

He said Reagan might be most remembered for his optimism, leadership, and "of course, the climax of the Cold War and his historic role in that."

When Reagan was shot in 1981, the shock waves reverberated much as they did after another presidential shooting, in 1963, said Liz Eichler of Simpsonville, originally from Bethlehem, Pa.

"I was in a dorm at the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts and all the arts students were, like, 'Oh, no.' So it was like a mini-John F. Kennedy-type thing.

"It was very scary."

Many expressed relief that the former president's 10-year battle with Alzheimer's disease ended, but not everyone in Greenville felt pride in his presidency. Few would say harsh words, saying it would be disrespectful.

To Nathaniel Salomonsky of Newport News, Va., visiting his cousin in Greenville, the Alzheimer's connection runs deep into his family. His grandmother suffers from the disease.

"To tell you the truth, I'm quite happy for his family, because visiting my grandmother once a week, it's a terrible, terrible way to pass away," said Salomonsky, 34, a graphic designer.

In the 1980s, as a high school student, he strongly disliked Reagan.

"I was just liberal, you know, a young kid, artist, and I just thought that's what I was supposed to do," he said. "Now, when I look back at it as I've gotten older, you start learning a lot of things he did as a president, and I guess he was really a good president."

He said, "Who's to say the methods that he took with the Soviet Union, at the time, who knows if someone else, another president, hadn't taken those methods, how things would have worked out?

"I don't hate Ronald Reagan anymore."

Wes Cooler of Sunset was one of those downtown Saturday when the ex-president died, helping with Upstate Forever's fund-raising drive at Mast General Store.

Cooler was a captain and a major in the Army during the Reagan administration. He said an organization takes on the personality of its leader. Everyone, down to the last private, felt Reagan's enthusiasm.

"No other president in my lifetime ever did as much to revitalize the Army and make us feel good about the profession we were in," he said. "The volunteer Army started to work under Ronald Reagan.

"You can attribute it all to him."

Reagan's passion is needed in this country again, some said.

"Many people in this country aren't feeling very patriotic right now," said Cindy Young, an Upstate Forever volunteer at Mast. "People want a leader they can have confidence in."