Diary Entry - 10/24/1988
Key Facts
President Reagan participates in a ceremony welcoming home members of the U.S. Olympic Team on their return from the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul, Korea.
President Reagan participates in a Signing Ceremony for S. 2749, Defense Authorization Amendments and Base Closure and Realignment Act.
The crew of the USS Vincennes receives an emotional homecoming in San Diego, nearly four months after the cruiser downed an Iranian jetliner in the Persian Gulf, killing all onboard.
Dave Gergen had a column in U.S. News & Report. For a change he was quite nice to me. John Henderson replied to Ohio’s Gov. Celeste for me. He had written a letter about the leaking nuc. plant in Ohio. John explained it would not reopen til it was absolutely safe. Some discussion of the bills we got & didn’t get before Cong. went home. One we got was V.A. becoming a Cabinet post & the plant closing. We did not get U.S.I.A.’s—World Net. expansion, nor did we get U.N. Peace Keeping appropriation. Did get Bermuda tax treaty & the Immigration bill. The Nat. Adoption bill was killed by Jim Wright.
N.S.C.—More on Marcos & some of the wild rumors in the media—that he contributed to my campaigns & that we’re indicting him to get a settlement on the mil. bases in the Philippines.
Shultz is asking permission to tear down our Embassy (half built) in Moscow & start over—question is where does the money come from. Soviets want a meeting on Krasnoyarsk. We want them to tell us what they are thinking of 1st.
A big drug bust (Cocaine) in Haiti—Pres. wants help from us. A long desk stretch—signed a lot of bills. Then over to S. Lawn for a greeting to about 550 of our 611 Olympic performers.—A Big crowd on hand & a lot of fun. Our Gold Medal heavyweight boxer came to the Oval O. for a photo of him putting his Medal on me. Lunch & some more desk time—photo with Kathys nephew.
Then a photo of me giving my United Fed. Fund campaign contribution to J. Herrington (chmn. this year). Signing Ceremony of the Base (mil.) Closing bill.
Then after a desk session—a group from the Vote America Foundation came in with this years essay winner—a 12 yr. old girl. Then over on S. Lawn to put some dirt in a hole where a donated Willow Oak tree is being planted. And upstairs to exercise & shower & have a lonesome dinner. Nancy is in N.Y.—addressing the U.N.G.A. in the morning. Upstairs, exercise, dinner & bed. Slept lousy—at 1 A.M. I tried reading for an hour.
