Presidents: Reagan's Piece Of the Rock

Reagan's Piece Of the Rock

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" The demand was made by Ronald Reagan as the then President addressed West Germans at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on June 12, 1987. With Gorbachev's acquiescence, if not encouragement, the deed was done. Last week Reagan stood beside a three-ton chunk of the Berlin Wall, 9 1/2 ft. tall and 3 1/2 ft. wide, and called it "an unnatural, ugly, unwelcome, undeniable symbol of the oppression of communism."

But this time the former President was standing on a hilltop overlooking the Pacific Ocean in California's Ventura County. And he seemed pleased to accept the gift of...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!