On Dec. 8, 1987, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) at the White House in Washington D.C.
It was a momentous occasion for both countries and the world.
Before the signing, President Reagan said the words that would forever be linked with his presidency: “Trust but Verify.”
Turns out that it was an old Russian proverb; those Russians love proverbs.
General Secretary Gorbachev chided the president, “You say the same thing at every meeting.”
President Reagan smiled and replied, “I like it.”
“The reward of a thing well done is to have done it,” Gorbachev responded, quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Both men had made great points.
I enjoy finishing a project around the old abode. Sitting back admiring my handiwork and knowing Laureen will indeed have another project on the nearby horizon.
I found the garage is a great place to hide at those moments.
President Reagan’s statement is one I use often.
When a telemarketer calls and advises me that I can make a gazillion dollars by purchasing a book on how to make a gazillion dollars, I check into it first before giving my credit card number over the phone.
Truthfully, a warning here — never give out any financial information over the phone, even to your children.
Why would some stranger want to share the secrets of earning a gazillion dollars? I would not — I would keep the secret a secret and keep all the monies for my … hmm, charity.
A lot of time is spent checking on this fact and that fact for each of my columns. Do I always get the facts correct? Probably not, but then I make them up — that is referred to as hyperbole, a fancy term for exaggeration or embellishing.
“I don’t lie; I embellish.”
“But you said you are six foot three.”
“I am, when I stand on a chair — see, not a lie.”
So, when the president said to trust but verify, it became part of the culture of the White House during his presidency.
In fact, in 2013, then-Secretary of State John Kerry stated during a news conference in Geneva, “President Reagan’s old adage about ‘trust but verify’ is in need of an update. And we have committed here to a standard that says, ‘verify and verify.’
So, with all of this in mind, I wanted to see what the big hullabaloo was going on at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.
An exhibit called Secrets of World War II was on display and sounded very promising to those who like to learn about secrets — except about ourselves.
Related:‘Secrets of WWII’ exhibit opens at Reagan library in Simi Valley
There was enough written about the exhibit on the library's website to make it very enticing indeed.
‘From the battles along our California coast to the battlefields of Japan, Germany, London, and more, delve into the “Secrets of WWII” at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. Shine a light on the controversies and intrigue, revealing the secrets of its guarded technologies, uncovering the unsung heroes and their actions which altered the course of the war.’ Explore the wild, strange, sometimes shocking twists that seem like fiction.
“Off to Simi Valley,” I said to Laureen early one Saturday morning.
“If it’s the library, count me in.”
She is a big Ronald Reagan fan. In all transparency, we have been to the presidential library numerous times — I even have a thumb drive in the shape of President Reagan’s Air Force One.
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The drive to Simi Valley is a pleasant short two-hour drive from the High Desert – either by traveling through Los Angeles on the 15 and 210 Interstates or skirting along Highways 138 and 14 past the unique communities of Littlerock and Agua Dulce.
The Presidential Library sits high atop a hill overlooking the long and beautiful Simi Valley in Ventura County.
On a clear day, some in Southern California, there may be a chance to see a couple of the Channel Islands in the Pacific.
We have never seen them from the library’s perch, but with enough imagination and eye strain, there is a possibility — have faith.
The architectural firm Hugh Stubbins and Associates drew up the library and completed it in late 1991.
Initially, the library covered 150,000 square feet, but through the years, additions were added. For example, the enclosed pavilion containing President Reagan’s Air Force One added 90,000 square feet. Currently, the library is the largest in square footage of all the other presidential libraries.
Like all such libraries, this library contains records, including hand-written, typed, film, and other items detailing the time President Reagan spent as president of the United States. It even holds many of his papers and official accounts when he was the governor of California.
There are over 50 million pages of presidential documents, nearly 2 million photographs, a half-million feet of motion picture film, and tons and tons of audio and video tapes concerning the presidential years of Reagan.
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In other words, this place has a lot of stuff dealing with a lot of things concerning a lot of stuff detailing the inner workings of the White House between 1981 to 1989.
The grounds are gorgeous. Tall, wide green trees line the walkways. Rows upon rows of blooming flowers are an incredible sight. Green grass lawns seem to be manicured daily. Varieties of bushes are trimmed perfectly.
The site covers 109 acres — it is a big piece of property.
We arrived as the library opened and found ourselves in short line.
Since we had been to the library recently, our goal was to view the new exhibit concerning the secrets of World War II.
But our attention was drawn to a new hologram presentation as guests entered the actual museum itself.
The hologram, which is pretty darn good, depicts the president in the Oval Office. For a few minutes, he speaks to the audience about his love of the country and why folks from the world over flee their homelands and venture to the United States for the freedom and hope it offers.
It was a touching moment. I believe a tear may have leaked out of Laureen’s right eye, but that could also have been allergies.
Stepping away from the crowd, we headed directly to the World War II exhibit and were amazed at the creativity and artistic talent it took to create such an exhibition.
A full-sized M4 Sherman tank greets the visitor as it breaks through a brick wall during a battle in the countryside of France.
Another Sherman tank is on display further along the well-coordinated path for visitors, which wind by military jeeps, military trucks, military ambulances, a German Storch plane, 50 caliber machine guns, various rifles, and anti-aircraft guns, as well as a seemingly full-size field hospital.
The secret items concerning the world war were more than fascinating; they were ingenious.
As we walked by glass case upon glass case, we were intrigued at the depths at which the Allied and Axis Powers would go to spy on one another.
It was as though we were walking through one of Ken Follett’s spy novels.
A couple of German Enigma coding and decoding machines are on display showing the genius behind passing messages back and forth without being detected.
A deck of playing cards was handed out to American airmen in case they were shot down over enemy territory. They appeared to be ordinary cards, but peal the cards apart, piece them back together again, and voila, a map showing escape routes.
An entire section detailing how the Navajo Nation came to the rescue by allowing the military to use their language and themselves as Code-Talkers. The enemy never translated their coded language during the war.
Exhibits detail how Japanese mini submarines approached California and fired upon specific oil fields, how German spies rowed ashore to infiltrate the United States and how Maidenform created little pigeon vests to protect the message-delivering birds from being hurt while parachuting out of airplanes with their military handlers.
A B-17-gun turret shows the cramped quarters where an airman would sit for hours waiting to see enemy aircraft.
Numerous displays show how patriotic women selflessly assisted the war effort at home or overseas in dangerous espionage movements.
There is a lot to see at the library and this special exhibit, but the entire presidential library is worth the drive and the time to visit, with or without any extra exhibitions.
But it is gratifying to have a little something else to look forward to — isn’t it?
The exhibit will run through Oct. 9, 2022, and as stated on the website — " 'Secrets of WWII' will not be like any other WWII exhibit you’ve ever witnessed."
And that you can trust without verifying.
For further information: https://www.reaganfoundation.org/library-museum/special-exhibits/the-secrets-of-wwii/
Email John R. Beyer at beyersbyways@gmail.com