In Warsaw and looking for adventure, I headed out from my hostel near the Copernicus statue into the drizzle in search of Ronald Reagan. And sure enough, at the edge of a small park across from the U.S. Embassy is a monument honoring our 40th president.
Cast in bronze, the statue of Ronald Reagan captures him in 1987 at the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, when he challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to Tear down this wall! The statue project was initiated by Polish business community, funded by private donations and sculpted by a national artist.
Without the support of Ronald Reagan, we wouldn't have a free Poland, said Lech Walesa, November 2011, as he unveiled the statue. Lech Walesa was co-founder of Poland's Solidarity movement in 1980 and, ten years later, the first popularly elected president of Poland.
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| Along with flowers and candles, an official bouquet complete with Polish flags and streamers emblazoned Solidarity grace the site. |
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| The statue faces the U.S. Embassy, Warsaw. |
The November, 2011 dedication ceremony included a statement from U.S. President Barak Obama and a message from Nancy Reagan.
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| Photos of Chicago grace the fence of the U.S. Embassy, Warsaw. The security guard, a Polish fellow, gave me permission to photograph them but only from across the street. Security issues, you know. ;) |
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| When and where did I last see this magnificent flag? Probably right here, on a previous trip to Poland. |
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| A salute to Ronald Reagan for encouraging other countries in their quest for freedom. What a wise leader he was. President Reagan said the right words at the right time, nudging Central and Eastern Europe toward freedom. And what an impact! |
How about you, dear blog reader, have you been overseas and happened upon a statue of an American leader? Please do share. . .
1 comment:
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