From 1926 through the summer of 1932 when he graduated from college, Ronald Reagan served as a lifeguard at Lowell Park Beach, three miles north of his home in Dixon, Illinois. That particular beach had a relatively safe swimming area but its proximity to the swift-running currents of the Rock River made it a treacherous place for overconfident enthusiasts. ‘Dutch’ Reagan was therefore part of an important safety force and, in his tenure as lifeguard, the young athlete was credited with saving 77 lives! A grateful town honored his brave efforts with a special plaque attached to a log on which Reagan chipped a notch every time he performed a rescue. That historic log is still preserved at the Loveland Community Center nearby.
It's a remarkable story; one, which you might think, would be well known by every American school kid. But when you remember that our nation’s mainstream media and educational structure are both irresponsibly liberal, the reason for ignoring the heroism of this young lifeguard Ronald Reagan becomes all too clear.
But here's the crucial thing for you and I to remember – we do not have to allow the obscurantist attitudes of others to deprive our kids and grandkids of those innumerable stories of virtue and heroism from American history that are going untold. We need not rely on the television networks or the government schools. Our inspirational heritage must be taken into our own hands. That means the alternative media, solid Christian education, building libraries, promoting the reading and discussion of good books, telling stories to our kids (rather than leaving their minds stranded in the wasteland of TV and video games), and more.
And this story about ‘Dutch’ Reagan, the remarkable athlete/actor/politician whose life is storybook Americana…it's a great start.
