California Surveyors Forums

"In his autobiography, An American Life, Mr. Reagan recalls..."

The Reagan surveying tale *might* be true, but Mr. Reagan's memory was known to have a very flexible relationship with the truth.

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Why be nasty, Jim? Save it for that national forum where mud-slinging seems commonplace.


I don't know which movie. I'll await the answer.

That RR worked a summer as a surveyor doesn't surprise me. I run into old guys all the time who "used to survey".

Any nastiness is inferred rather than implied. Reagan was a storyteller -- a very good one, from all accounts -- and as such often focused on the story rather than the facts.

My dad is the same way. He tells a great story, and I've heard most of them many times over the decades. Being the subject of more than a few, I'm also aware of the degree to which they move further and further from the truth with each retelling. They make wonderful entertainment, but not-so-wonderful history.

Whether Reagan believed everything he said is irrelevant. Maybe he worked on a survey crew, maybe he didn't. My point is that his words, especially regarding something as trivial as a short-lived job in his distant past, aren't always reliable.

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I don't recall that movie Greg.
Let us know if you find it... it would be a nice nugget of trivia for us all.

I was browsing thru Barnes & Noble the other day and I picked up a book of photographs of Ronald Reagan to see if that picture of him with the Transit was in it, and sure enough, it was. The caption was rather general, indicating that Mr. Regan was host of Death Valley Days up until he ran for governor and then someone else took over as host. The caption would lead you to believe that the photo was from an episode of Death Valley Days, but then maybe they just did not have anything else to say about that photo.

i agree with evan, jim. and by the way, hows that "hopey changy" doing for you?

"hows that "hopey changy" doing for you?"

If you're asking whether or not I'm pleased with the Obama administration's performance to date, well, I have a lot of issues with it. However, whenever I consider the alternative, I'm all smiles.

How's it working for you?

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Greg: ..."doesn't look particularly youthful in the picture"... do you have a picture of is it from memory?

The photo does look like it could have been from his Death Valley Days period circa 1966.

RMLAND - Thanks for the agreement, but I agree with Greg's sentiments in Post #10. That's why I did not respond to Jim with any sort of political counterpunch.

The RPLS forum (among other non-survey forums) has plenty of political discussion. I'd hate to see this forum devolve to that level every time a person or topic associated in any way with other political topics is mentioned.

This thread was/is about a famous person who is in a photo depicting him as a surveyor, apparently played a surveyor in a movie, and may have worked on a survey crew as a young man.

It is not about his actions, successes, or failures as a politician. It is not about the actions, successes, or failures of any other past or current politicians.

Let's leave the thread what it was intended to be and drop the rest.

Thanks.