Alternate History 🇺🇸 November 2, 1976: President Nelson Rockefeller wins election to full 4-year term and the aftermath

[Sergeant Foley]

REAGAN PARDONS FORMER FBI OFFICIALS
*Wednesday, April 15, 1981: President Ronald Reagan pardoned former FBI agents W. Mark Felt and Edward S. Miller five months after they had both been convicted of conspiracy to violating civil rights of friends and relatives of the suspected members of the Weather Underground terrorist organization.

TRUDEAU REJECTS PROVINCIAL PLAN OF CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES
*Thursday, April 16, 1981: Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau rejected a plan which had been endorsed by the Premiers of eight out of the ten provinces that would've allowed individual provincial legislatures to reject constitutional changes, saying it would turn Canada into a loose confederation.

FUNERAL SERVICES FOR LEGENDARY HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION JOE LOUIS HELD IN LAS VEGAS

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*Friday, April 17, 1981: The funeral services for legendary heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis was held inside the Sports Pavilion of Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada officiated by the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Among those in attendance: United States Senator Paul Laxalt (R-NV); Caesar's Palace president Harry Ward; boxing greats Muhammad Ali; Sugar Ray Robinson; Larry Holmes; Floyd Patterson; entertainers Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr.,; comedian Bill Cosby; Max Schmeling; Gene Tunney; Jack Dempsey; Lou Nova and promoter Don King. Louis' flag-draped casket was then driven to the airport for the flight to Washington, DC., where President Reagan waived the eligibility requirements in allowing the boxing legend to be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia with full military honors.

SPORTS: NEBRASKA WRANGLERS WIN WPBL CHAMPIONSHIP IN LEAGUE'S FINAL GAME
*Monday, April 20, 1981: In the final game of the WPBL, the Nebraska Wranglers defeated the Dallas Diamonds by a score of 99-90 winning the WPBL Championship.

HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING LEGEND JOE LOUIS OFFICIALLY LAID TO REST WITH FULL MILITARY HONORS AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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*Tuesday, April 21, 1981: With family, friends including boxing greats and boxing contemporaries in attendance, legendary heavyweight boxing champion Joseph Louis Barrow was officially laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

NABSICO MERGING WITH STANDARD BRANDS
*Wednesday, April 22, 1981: Food producers Nabsico, Inc., agreed to acquire Standard Brands, Inc., in a stock transaction which was valued at around $1.9 billion creating Nabisco Brands, Inc.,

PRESIDENT REAGAN LIFTS GRAIN EMBRAGO
*Friday, April 24, 1981: President Ronald Reagan ended the Grain Embargo which had been instituted by then-President Linwood Holton on 7 January 1980 and which had also restricted the sale of American grain to the Soviet Union following the Soviets' invasion of Afghanistan. In announcing this decision, Reagan said "American farmers have been unfairly singled out to bear the burden of this ineffective policy."

GISCARD AND MITTERRAND ADVANCE TO PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF ELECTION IN FRANCE

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*Sunday, April 26, 1981: In the first round of the 1981 French Presidential election campaign, incumbent French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing and Francois Mitterrand advanced to the 10 May 1981 runoff election, which will be hotly-contested as the eyes of France and the world will be watching quite closely. The winner of the runoff election will take office on 21 May 1981 for the seven-year term.

TENNIS STAR ADMITS SECRET LESBIAN AFFAIR
*Tuesday, April 28, 1981: Professional tennis champion Billie Jean King was sued by Marilyn Barnett, a woman who stated in her complaint, they were lesbian lovers. Initially denying the allegations, King ultimately admitted to the secret lesbian relationship four days later.

PEOPLE EXPRESS POISED TO FLY
*Thursday, April 30, 1981: Promoting themselves as the "No-Frills Airline", the People Express began their low-cost trips to and from its hub at the Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey; tickets for the inaugural flight from Newark, New Jersey to Buffalo, New York State priced only $23.00.

BREAKING NEWS ALERT: UNITED STATES SENATOR HARRISON WILLIAMS (D-NJ) CONVICTED ON FELONY CHARGES OF BRIBERY AND CONSPIRACY
*Friday, May 1, 1981: United States Senator Harrison Williams (D-NJ) was convicted by federal grand jury on felony charges of bribery and conspiracy and was sentenced to three years in federal prison. Williams steadfastly refused to resign his US Senate seat saying, "This despicable injustice has robbed New Jerseyans of having one of two of their United States Senators fighting for them in Capitol Hill."

VOLUNTARY RESTRAINT AGREEMENT ENACTED BY MITI
*Responding to US pressure, the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) enacted the Voluntary Restraint Agreement (VRA) reducing the number of car sales to the United States to 1,680,000 units.

GRANITE V HONORING VIETNAM WAR DEAD CHOSEN FOR NEW MEMORIAL HONORING VIETNAM WAR VETERANS
*Wednesday, May 6, 1981: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund announced that they accepted the design of 21-year-old architecture student Maya Lin for the new Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

AIR FORCE JET EXPLODES; KILLING 21
*United States Air Force C-135 aircraft exploded at 10:45 while on an altitude of 28,000 FT; All 21 USAF Personnel on board the plane were killed instantly and the wreckage scattered over Frederick, Maryland.

INA NEWS AGENCY REPORTS MITTERRAND WINS FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF ELECTION, DEFEATS INCUMBENT GISCARD IN CLOSE VOTE

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*Sunday, May 10, 1981: With a record turnout of 85.85% in the French Presidential runoff elections, Francois Mitterrand of the Socialist Party defeated incumbent French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing of the Union for French Democracy Party, making Giscard the first incumbent French President to lose reelection. Mitterrand garnered 15,708,262 votes (51.76%) while President Giscard garnered 14,642,306 votes (48.24%). Mitterrand will be inaugurated as the 21st President of the French Republic at Elysee Palace on 21 May 1981.

PLAN REVAMPING SOCIAL SECURITY UNVEILED; CONGRESS CONDEMNS THE PROPOSAL
*Tuesday, May 12, 1981: US Secretary of Health and Human Services Richard Schweiker unveiled the Reagan administration's plan of balancing the Federal Budget by reducing social security benefits paid for early retirement from 80% of the full rating to 55%. This proposal was so unpopular both Republicans and Democrats agreed on it: voting 98-0 on a Senate resolution strongly condemning the idea. United States Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) referred to this proposal "Heartless, Disgusting and Full of Garbage, the American people are going to respond forcefully in the 1982 Midterms."

SPORTS: BOSTON CELTICS WIN 14TH NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

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*Thursday, May 14, 1981: The Boston Celtics of the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets by a score of 102-91 in Game 6 of the 1981 NBA Finals at The Summit in Houston, Texas before a crowd of 16,121 in attendance; Celtics small forward Cedric Maxwell was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player; this is the 14th NBA Championship for the Boston Celtics with long storied history and winning championship throughout the years.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

MITTERRAND INAUGURATED AS 21ST PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC

Former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing bids farwell to French President Francois Mitterrand on the courtyard grounds of Elysee Palace before Mitterrand's inauguration.
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*Thursday, May 21, 1981: Francois Mitterrand was inaugurated as the 21st President of the French Republic inside the ornate 18th Century ballroom of Elysee Palace (Residence of the French Republic President and his family). Upon arriving at the Palace, Mitterrand held a 47-minute private meeting with outgoing French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing during which according to sources, the transfer of secretive nuclear codes took place. However, Giscard snubbed his successor by not attending the Inauguration festivities as was customary in previous presidential inaugurations: Once he shook hands with Mitterrand wishing him luck in the next seven years, the 20th President of the French Republic left the Elysee Palace grounds on foot through the palace courtyards: which was ironically the same way he entered back in 1974 when he took office.

Inside the palace ballroom, the room was filled with very prominent Socialists and leftists, who were determined to change the French Republic. Mitterrand during his inaugural address exclaimed: "What higher demand for our country than to achieve a new alliance of socialism and liberty? What more beautiful ambition than to offer the world of tomorrow? I want to be the President of all the French, I want to unite them for the great causes that await us and create in all circumstances conditions of a true national community. To all the French, beyond this room and this palace, I say let us have confidence and faith in the future."

Wasting no time in launching his drive in pursuing a leftist-dominated government, one of Mitterrand's first acts was naming longtime Socialist Party aide Pierre Mauroy as the new Prime Minister and having the French Parliament dissolved altogether in order to permitting new elections being held. Following the Inauguration, Mitterrand walked to the backyard of the Elysee Palace and was honored with a loud thundering 21 Cannon Salute including reviewing the troops of the French Armed Forces; he then rode in an open limousine to the Arch of Triumph for the ritual laying of the wreath of the tomb of the French Unknown Soldier. Breaking with tradition, Mitterrand mingled with the people by walking up Boulevard Saint Michel, famed center of the Left Bank student quarter; then toward the domed Pantheon Monument: paying homage to the tombs of Jean Jaures, founder of the French Socialist Party and Jean Moulin, leader of the World War II Underground Resistance, both of whom are entombed there respectively.

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[Sergeant Foley]

SHOCKING NEWS OUT OF ECUADOR: ECUADORIAN PRESIDENT JAIME ROLDOS KILLED IN PLANE CRASH
*Sunday, May 24, 1981: Ecuadorian President Jaime Roldos along with his wife, Ecuadorian First Lady Martha Bucaram; the Ecuadorian Defense Minister and six other people were killed in a plane crash. Roldos was on his way to Zarotillo for a ceremony when the Avro-748 presidential aircraft crashed into the side of the mountain. Vice President Osvaldo Hurtado was sworn into office as the 34th President of the Republic of Ecuador soon afterwards. Hurtado would serve out the remainder of Roldos' five-year term until 10 August 1984.

GCC ESTABLISHED IN RIYADH
*Monday, May 25, 1981: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was established by Saudi Arabia; the United Arab Emirates; Kuwait; Oman and Qatar as economic and military alliances between the Middle Eastern nations.

RAHMAN ASSASSINATED BY REBEL TROOPS
*Saturday, May 30, 1981: Bangladeshi President Ziaur Rahman was assassinated while spending the night in Chittagong, Bangladesh at 4:00 AM in the morning by rebel troops.

ERA AMENDMENT APPROVED IN SWITZERLAND
*Sunday, June 14, 1981: Voters in Switzerland approved the Equal Rights Amendment to the Swiss Constitution.

MARCOS WINS REELECTION OVERWHELMINGLY IN MASSIVE LANDSLIDE, SECURING THIRD TERM AS PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT
*Tuesday, June 16, 1981: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos was overwhelmingly reelected to a historic third term, garnering 18,309,360 votes and 88% of the nationwide vote, the highest number of votes ever in Philippine history. He will be taking office on 30 June 1981 at the Quirino Grandstand.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This installment will be updated daily either sometime later this evening or maybe next week, now just be patient folks.

Chapter 12: Marcos's Historic Third Term
6:50 AM PHST, Tuesday, June 30, 1981
Quirino Grandstand
Manila, Philippines

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos taking the Oath of Office for a third term as the 10th President of the Republic of the Philippines.
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The third presidential inauguration of Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr., as the 10th President of the Republic of the Philippines was very historic: this was the first presidential inauguration taking place on June 30th, plus it was the first time in Philippine history that an incumbent President was being sworn in for a historic third term; already the longest-serving Philippine President in Philippine history, sworn into office for a six-year term that was cut short upon his death on 13 March 1984, succeeded by his wife and Vice President Imelda Romualdez Marcos (more on that later in the later chapters of the timeline). Among those in attendance at the Inauguration festivities: US Vice President George Herbert Walker Bush and his wife, US Second Lady Barbara Bush; Mexican President General Oscar Robles; Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew; Thai Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda among several other foreign dignitaries; members of the Diplomatic Corps were also attending the inauguration including many international news organizations.

Following taking the Oath of Office by Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Enrique Fernando, President Marcos was given the traditional 21 Cannon Salute while the Presidential anthem "We Say Mabuhay" was being performed by PSG Marching Band and walked up to the podium delivering his third inaugural address to the loud cheers of the large crowd in attendance:

President Marcos: "My beloved and fellow Countrymen:
By the generosity of your sovereign mandate, I have been sworn again today before you, and in the sight of the world to defend, preserve, and promote all that we hold dear and cherish as a nation.
The greatness of this occasion dwarfs all personal feelings of joy, gratitude and pride which one feels at this moment. As it has ever been, the entire nation, not one man alone, is summoned by this historic ceremony to ledge faith in ourselves and in the future.
In the history of our nation, there are certain moments that fix for us a tide of turning and redirection, when the nation irrevocably moves into a new course and bravely ventures into the future.

This is such a turning point.
On a dreary December dawn eighty-five years ago, young patriot and prophet of the race fell on this very soil, "a martyr to his illusions" of a new Philippines.
Sixteen years ago, we stood on this same hallowed ground, sharing a vision of Filipino greatness.

Sixty-nine years separated the martyrdom and the mandate of greatness. More than two generations of thwarted hopes and disappointed dreams. The blood of the martyr inspired the Philippine Revolution, from which sprung the first Asian Republic, proclaimed in Kawit, Cavite on the twelfth of June, 1898. It was a short-lived Republic, for soon after, recalling three and half centuries of foreign domination, we were colonized once again.

Two other republics followed, under which the Philippines was independent but not truly sovereign, for as history decrees, authentic freedom is self-proclaimed and is not a gift from alien lands.

The Filipino had lost his dignity, his courage and even his soul. For we existed at the time in a precarious democracy which advanced the few who were rich and powerful and debased the many who were poor. Government was the acolyte of an oligarchy whose preeminence reached back to the colonial era. This arrangement resulted in a society that could no longer endure; as social scientists said, we, the Filipinos, were sitting on top of a "social volcano." But our young martyr and hero had a more arresting metaphor. A social cancer was all over the land. A major surgery was inevitable.

We were caught, according to a popular image, between a world that was dead and a world that was too feeble to be born. We had to accelerate the birth of this New World-a Caesarean operation was required. Either that or perish beneath the weight of our own failures.

Out of this peril-from the jaws of dismemberment and extinction, and from the heart of the rebellion of the poor-was our new republic.

The first republic was still-born, it had to be born again-in our time.

Today, we proclaimed here the birth of a new republic, new in structure and character, and ordained to preside over a new time of ferment and change in our national life.

Our republic is new for its fidelity to our historical legacy and its utter repudiation of the colonial past. In it is the power of the vision which sacrificed the "First Filipino" on this sacred ground. Time alone can tell the fate and fortune of our new republic.

Thus has history presented our saga to this generation of Filipinos that we must rise from the depths of ignominy and failure; and thus is it said that we have an appointment with destiny.

With the past, we affirm here and now the continuity and integrity of the nation vouchsafed to us by the sacrifices and struggles of our fathers. But we are also deeply conscious of the need to break away from the historical ties have fettered time and again the pursuit of the national destiny.

Too often in the long sweep of history, we have seen national longing and aspiration denied at the threshold of fulfillment. We have seen our nation aborted at birth, tossed in the sway of empires, gripped in irresolution and drift, paralyzed by disunity and strife, and hostage to chaos and instability. Our national independence since the beginning has been partly cast in light, partly in shadow.

There are, to be sure, imperfections in our institutions, and as these are run by men, there are more imperfections still. But I choose to regard these as redeemable; we can still win the few, the faltering, recalcitrant few, to our government.

Unerringly, the many crises and trials of our republic have repeatedly pointed to one recurring theme. The helplessness of government to cope with problems and its inability to prosecute national purposes and goals. We have suffered less from the failure of political ideals than from the failure to make democratic government work and prosper in our land.
From such failure did we pass into the long night of crises and instability that so lately visited our land, and required the extraordinary recourse to martial law and the establishment of a crisis government.

Yet from our response to that time of challenge, during an eight-and-a-half year period that will ever be distinguished landmark in the history of our nation, we emerged a nation strengthened and transformed, her faith renewed in the vitality of her democratic institutions.

Ironic, we say now, is the fact that to arrive at this new beginning for democracy in our country, we have had to travel the route of authoritarian government, passed through the very eye of hazard and crisis, and endured the verdict of some men who despaired that democracy has been irretrievably lost in our land.

The interval of crisis government and reconstruction opened to our nation a new meaning in the democratic ideal and a new dynamism towards its attainment. We can never again stand in alienation from one another, in resignation before our problems, or in humiliation before the world.

Living through the tempest of crises and ferment, we have known the reserves of national will we possess and the kind of government we are truly capable of establishing in our country.

Not the poverty of principles, or the decay of ideals, but the simple failure of government has undermined our confused and tortuous route as a nation. And so it is that our national rebirth must be founded first and foremost upon the rock of government.

This is the new beginning that we proclaim-----today the awakening of our republic to the fundamental challenge of governing our land and our people, of ministering to the cares of public life, and of redeeming every dream and every aspiration that throughout our national history has fired the hearts and minds of our people.

Fundamentally, this is s beginning and a change not in dreams and aspiration, but in rededication and reappraisal. For so long we have immersed in a confused debate over ideas and principles, when our real need was self-discipline.

We have swayed between the ideologies of the times and been entrapped in their irresoluble contention, when our attention might have been better focused infusing confidence in our people.

We have wearied of the efficacy of democratic ideals, despaired of their ever taking root in our country, when our task was to make these ideals find life and sustenance in our society through our own self-abnehation.

We have been captivated by models and images of development not our own making without moulding them to the reality of our culture and traditions.

Today, we know better.

This is the vision of rebirth that we hold out to the nation today of a new people and a new government that will be stable, strong, and capable of leading that way the national future.

Our chief concern is to develop and perfect the means whereby government may recapture the original purpose of society------that of promoting the well-being of all the members of our community. This is no mere sentiment. This we recognize as a fundamental duty to be practically and resolutely pursued.

Its essence is less to be seen in what we say of those timeless democratic principles we swear by------freedom, rights, morals, service and the like------than in the manner by which we organize law and government for their realization in our society.

Others may speak of their facile ideas to make change and development in our country. We shall address ourselves to the organization of government, to the engineering of change, to the management of our affairs for this is how, fundamentally and truly, the most lofty ideals begins to be realized and come to live in society.

We speak to our farming communities who had long been disenchanted by slogans promising land and progress and who at last, under the 1972 program of land reform now have their own lands to tiill but also need the continuing assistance of their government to attain both advancement in their lives and growth in their communities.

We speak to our working classes who need not only a greater share in the profits of production but the uograding of skills and talents by the energetic action of government so that they may carry out the programs designed to spur the growth of our economic and social life.

We speak to the entrepreneurs throughout our land who need, besides the maintenance of our free enterprise system, the practical assistance of government in the identification of markets, in the development of sources of labor and raw materials, in the availment of credit facilities, and in the concerted effort to free the full bounty of our resources as a nation.

We speak to every family------to every man, woman and child throughout our land------whose security, well-being and advancement must be directly affected by, and be the concern of, government in practical programs that will broaden opportunities in education, health and welfare and other human needs.

We speak to the citizenry, whose sovereign will and whose rights must exist not only on paper, but in effective processes that magnify its participation in government and its enjoyable of its rights.

We speak also to the family of nations and councils of the world, to which our national life is so intimately linked today, to which we pledge continued and abiding cooperation in efforts and programs that will truly advance the peace and progress of peoples, especially of those with whom we share the cause of reform of the international system.

We shall not merely dream, we shall achieve.

We are done with pining for all the comforts and rewards of more advanced societies. We shall now draw up our plans in accordance with our vision and culture, to realize within our land our own program of development and progress.

True liberation such as has been dreamed of since the birth of our nation, and has never left the bosom of our people, is not to be attained save by the enduring union of government and the people.

It is unthinkable that we should approach this task as partisans to warring interests, creeds and ideologies. Our goal is to unite, not divide.

National unity is a covenant between each and every Filipino, and between the leader and his people. The true honor that you have bestowed on me as your thrice-elected leader imposes on my person-----and those closes to me-----a debt, an obligation that I cannot shirk and a pledge that I dare not betray. Let history judge me harshly on this------that until every Filipino can say with conviction that he has been liberated from ignorance, poverty, and disease; until, in sum, he can call his mind, body, and spirit his own, I shall have failed you.

For this purpose it shall be our task as a people to break, with the force of our will and our energies, the tradition of discord and suspicion that characterized our efforts in the past to build one nation.

It is a duty we can no longer ignore or deny to bring the wasteful strife in the South to an end, to settle for all time the secessionist war which has haunted the nation these past several years. Let us sweep aside the gloom of separatism and distrust.

We must apply to the cultivation of a new national tradition of Filipino-unity, in which Christian and Muslim are brothers in blood and aspiration, in which religious freedom is not only a guarantee but also a true and enduring bond to hold all men together, none of them less than the others because of his religious creed or mode of worship.

We ask all our countrymen, every group and every sector of our society, to gather around this work now unfolding, to lend to it their counsel and their guidance, and the light of their earnest criticism.

We have had enough of bitterness and faction among us to realize now that we have spent ourselves and recuced thereby the vitality and strength of our nation. Learning from one another, striving towards consensus, contending and yet aware of our common life as a nation, we can provide healing answers to the travails of national life. We shall move forward together.

Of the leadership, the dedication, and the vision so clearly needed by this work of building and creation in our land, government shall be the first to provide. We shall bring into the service of government the broadest knowledge and expertise available throughout our land. We shall set upon the task of reconstructing on a new foundation the whole of our government bureaucracy------from the lowest echelons to the highest------so that we shall have once and for all truly a government that is servant to our hopes and our needs.

Governnent can lead the way to building our new republic but it cannot do the task alone. It requires us also to establish new concepts of cooperation and interaction between government and the people, between communities and their leaders, between the variant sectors of our society.

The people's initiative, their caring, and their imagination, as much as those of government, will determine how far and how fast we can achieve the blessings of true democracy on our land.

But I do believe that our people have never been more prepared for this test of their communal life and for the effort that it demands. I believe that today we all see our problems and our opportunities more clearly than we used to as tasks that are resolved not by a fever of words and hopes but by action patiently applied to them.

When I look upon our history as a nation, it is this attitude to work and struggle that is truly new in our society today. It is this profession of faith above all others that shines upon our work now beginning in our country.

Nearly a century ago, the man who was martyred on these grounds, Dr. Jose Rizal, described in words of cautious prophecy the nation that the Filipino race could become a century hence. He wrote: "The Philippines will defend with inexpressible valor the liberty secured at the price of so much blood and sacrifice. With the new men that will spring from their soil and with the recollection of their past, they will perhaps strive to enter freely upon the wide road of progress, and all will labor together to strengthen their fatherland, both internally and externally, with the same enthusiasm, with which a youth falls again to tilling the land of his ancestors so long wasted and abandoned through the neglect of those who have withheld it from him. Then the mines will be made to give up their fold for relieving distress, iron for weapons, copper, lead and coal. Perhaps the country will revive the maritime and mercantile life for which the islanders are fitted by their nature, ability and instincts, and once more free, like the bird that leaves its cage, like the flower that unfolds to the air, will recover the pristine virtues that are gradually dying out and will again become addicted to peace------cheerful, happy, joyous, hospitable and daring."

We are the nation today. With courage and vision we shall be more.

From you therefore, my countrymen, I ask utmost commitment, the unswerving allegiance to the vision which unites us. You owe this to yourselves.

Give all that you can to your country, and I, God willing, will leave you a society that will fill all your needs for a decent and honorable life.

Let us then call on the intransigent to realize their just purpose with us; let us awaken the unconscious and enlighten the mislead; let us listen to our detractors in honest counsel. Let us bind the wounds of the past, and in one united effort, realize the aspirations of our people. There are no outside saviors; there is only us------the Filipinos.

There is no injustice that we cannot dedicate, no corruption that we cannot extirpate, no hardship or crisis that we cannot overcome as long as we keep faith with the vision of national greatness.

With the advent of this hour of the New Republic, we enter with a clear eye and a stout heart a perilous decade. There is nothing to fear; we shall achieve national liberation; we shall prevail.

I ask you then: let us cross this frontier."​

 

[Sergeant Foley]

Mexico's First Lady Laid Dying
10:00 PM EST, Sunday, July 5, 1981
Summer Presidential Retreat
Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico​

Fernanda Arizmendi opened her eyes. She was tired, unable to get out of bed. Her throat was very dry. Her eyes had become tinged with constant pain due to the severity of her advanced cervical cancer over the past two years in a battle that resulted in seeing the youngest popular First Lady of the United Mexican States losing weight to only weighing just 73 pounds. Her breathing was very slow. She also knew that Death------which had been stalking her since 21 May 1979, stalked her with eagerness and Death was aggressively cunning with such ruthless resolve------finally had come for her. Considering once again since nobody told her the truth about her diagnosis especially her husband of 12 years, Mexican President General Oscar Robles, who tacitly viewed it as keeping the political optics going by keeping the truth from her, never even told his dying second wife the truth of the advanced cervical cancer. When she died within hours at the age of 32, Fernanda would hold the record as the youngest-ever First Lady in Mexico's history with eight years, four months and 3,057 days.

She lay in her bed inside the Summer Presidential Retreat on the second floor, holding the hand of her husband, Oscar (her knight and shining armor). Her daughter, Donna Belle including her some of her stepchildren Raquel, Margaret and Maria Alba (from Oscar's first marriage with Geneva DeSouza) including Donna Belle's half brother, Senator Winfred Joaquin Robles were also inside the room. Before them, the First Lady of the United Mexican States laid dying.

Maria Alba left the room to find her stepmother's press secretary. They needed to put out an official statement that her condition had taken its final turn. They work-shopped something quickly and released in the Los Pinos doctor's name. The First Lady's condition had been growing serious in the last few weeks. She was being made comfortable at the Summer Presidential Retreat (preferring to remain there in the final months of her illness) and declined further medical treatment.

Deputy Chief of Staff Eloise Almendariz asked if they should release an updated statement to the press, who were converging onto the grounds of the Summer Presidential Retreat (maximum security had blocked the press from coming anywhere the grounds: strongly having the press pool of reporters holding court at the outside gates while some television news stations were doing their news reports, only stating "The Presidential Office is reporting the First Family has been notified about serious concerns of the First Lady's health situation." Maria Alba didn't think so. It was only a matter of time.

She was roaming through the halls of the Summer Presidential Retreat while her stepmother, drifting inside and outside of sleep, spent her final moments. Maria Alba took her seat behind the desk inside the First Lady's personal office, looking at the pictures of her entire family as a teenager. The wedding photos of her father and stepmother; pictures of her seven half-sisters, above the mantle included pictures with the late American Presidents Gerald Rudolph Ford and Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller; American First Ladies Betty Ford; Happy Rockefeller; Jinks Holton; pictures of Oscar and Fernanda meeting with the Pahlavi's; Chilean President Captain General Augusto Pinochet and his wife, Chilean First Lady Lucia Hirart Pinochet; the late Pope Paul VI; French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing; King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium; Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of the United Kingdom; King Sobhuza II of Swaziland; Gabonese President Omar Bongo and his wife, Gabonese First Lady Patience Dabany; Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley; Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace of Monaco including countless others. It was room full of history.

Maria Alba thought about what her stepmother's legacy would be. Surely, there would be some skeptics who wondered why didn't they tell Fernanda the truth about her terminal cancer nor if the truth ever come known before the public. That was well deserved. But she hoped that most Mexicans would remember her stepmother for the courageous staunch support of social welfare and women's rights in Mexico and for the Women's Robles-ista Movement pushing for the eventual full Equal Employment Act which Oscar had signed into law. She had hoped many of the multiple long list of accomplishments would be the legacy of her stepmother.

Her hands in her pockets, she walked along the outdoor colonnade which led back to the Private Residence. The Summer hot air was obviously biting hard. She noticed the Summer Presidential Retreat fences (which were increased to even higher levels with dark black armored triple gates); a crowd of well-wishers were gathering. It was very bright for candles, but they did bring flowers and laid them along the posts toward the main gates. Maria Alba brushed away some tears. Some in the crowd of well-wishers knew it too------that inside the Summer Presidential Retreat, their popular beloved First Lady laid dying.

Her father rose to put his arm around her when she came back to the room. Her stepmother was still alive, but barely. Fernanda's daughter, Donna Belle, helped her sip water through straws. Five of Fernanda's siblings were inside the residence bracing for the inevitable.

The First Lady drew in deep and mighty breaths. She looked at each of her seven daughters including four of her twelve stepchildren (the others were in France and Spain and weren't able to make it back to Mexico, but were being updated). She looked at whom she referred to as "Knight and Shining Armor", her beloved Oscar. She offered them all feeble smiles. The First Lady who hadn't spoken in over the past few weeks, opened her mouth and said "I Love You All." She then turned to her sister, Mireya Alexander and said her final words "I am leaving."

She then turned to squint out the window at the crowd of well-wishers gathering for the final time and then Fernanda Arizmendi closed her eyes and drifted away to meet her Maker. Mireya pressed her eyes tightly shut as she felt her sister's life passing from her hands. Oscar took a deep breath as he too, felt his wife slipping away quickly. Her daughter, Donna Belle, at his side, hugged him tightly. She put her hands out on her mother's skeletal legs and squeezed. At 10:00 PM, the end had officially come for Fernanda Livia Arizmendi de Robles.

The family took moments with their wife, mother, stepmother and sister. They all knew what was coming next. The chaotic spectacle of Lying in Repose. The riderless horses. The Cannon Salutes. The flight to Mexico City for the Ceremonial Funeral festivities; the flight back to Isla Mujeres. However, for now, they took the time to remembering their mother before the nation would be called upon to remember one of the most popular First Ladies in Mexico history.

Oscar then left his wife's room to find Dr. Irene Evanggeliou (her husband, Giorgio was getting the chemicals and the other methods ready). She needn't traveling far. Irene had been posted outside the bedroom in a chair. She rose at the sight of the three-term 58th President of the United Mexican States.

"Dr. Evanggeliou," he said in a calm stern voice, "You and your husband have full access to my wife's body. Do whatever you have to do in order to make her beautiful, while arrangements for Fernanda's funeral will be getting worked out."

She got the message, walked down the hall and picked up the phone calling her husband: "It's a Go!"

 

[Sergeant Foley]

BREAKING NEWS ALERTS: MEXICAN FIRST LADY FERNANDA ARIZMENDI DIES OF UNDISCLOSED ILLNESS AT THE AGE OF 32
*Presidential Office confirms the sad news.
*Regularly scheduled programming across Mexico interrupted to announce the First Lady's death.
*Mexican President General Oscar Robles to address the nation at the National Palace in Mexico City tomorrow afternoon.
*Arrangements to be unveiled in a few days.

*Sunday, July 5, 1981: Mexicans were shocked and stunned by the bombshell news reports as regularly scheduled programming across Mexico had been abruptly interrupted with the ominous words: "We're interrupting regularly scheduled programming to make an official announcement."

Eyewitnesses in Mexico City noticed the large Mexican flag on the grounds of the National Palace being lowered in half-mast, one young female said "I kind of figured the First Lady of our nation was gone when the flag was lowered at half-mast and the bells began tolling." Others gathered at the gates of Los Pinos crying, hugging each other and singing the Mexican National Anthem.

Sources reported some members of the Robles family will be boarding the Presidential aircraft and head straight to Mexico City at once, heading straight toward Los Pinos (Residence of the Mexican President and First Family).

Unnamed anonymous sources state the late First Lady's body will remain at an undisclosed location in Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo until sometime around 11 July 1981 when the first of three funeral services will be held; the location unknown at this time.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

NSFW DISCLAIMER: The following installment will be quite gruesome, grisly and erotic. Viewer discretion is advised!
Personal PoV's: Creepy Greek Embalmer begins his work on perfecting the masterpiece (Part I)
1:57 AM EST, Monday, July 6, 1981
Somewhere in Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico

​

Giorgio Evanggeliou was alone inside an extra-large underground sound-proof lab which had lots of air conditioning fans, etc.,

Upon getting the official notification from Irene that Mexican First Lady Fernanda Arizmendi had met her Maker a few hours earlier at 10:00 PM on that Sunday evening inside her private bedroom of the heavily secluded Summer Presidential Retreat in the outskirts of Isla Mujeres, Giorgio had gotten all of the chemicals, scapling-carving knives, etc all ready in what would be one of many super deep thorough "secret examinations" of Fernanda as her husband, Mexican President General Oscar Robles gave the Evanggeliou's full access of his wife's body and given them to go-ahead of doing whatever it takes to making her look beautiful.

Once the Robles family left the Summer Presidential Retreat and headed for Mexico City, Irene and Giorgio had covered up Fernanda with a long white sheet; placed her on a stretcher by wheeling her out of the room via private elevator and went through a sound-proof backway tunnel which ultimately led to the super secret lab.

Irene had used nail polish remover in getting rid of the red nail polish off of her fingers and feet before asking Giorgio "I'm going to bed, assuming you'll be here all night?" Giorgio replied "That's right. Time for me to get started, I'll be here quite awhile, so good night." Irene went across the hall and went to bed.

Giorgio looked all over Fernanda's body "Such a young beautiful body. Despite the fact you're dead, I am going to perfect your likeness as Irene had finished making latex human body skin-suits with your likeness from head to toe a few days earlier. Now let's get started."

Removing the pajamas off of Fernanda, Giorgio then carefully removed all of the undergarments including her thong; Next he reached around her back and took off her bra, throwing the clothes onto the large basket before closing the lid. Amazed and eye-googling "Oh my. You're beautiful" Giorgio calmly said as he slowly caressed Fernanda's breasts including all over the naked body from head to toe.

Slightly placing her on her left side, Giorgio used an incision scapel to use incisions across the entire backside and slowly and carefully removed Fernanda's entire skin from head to toe, revealing her completely skinless naked and barefoot. Squishing sounds ensued as he placed the mangled skin of Fernanda into some cleaning container with special chemicals.

Next, Giorgio removed all of the organs out of the body: brain, pituitary, parathyroid, esophagus, larynx (everything in the entire throat); heart, adrenals, liver, kidneys, intestines, stomach, ovaries. Once that was done, Giorgio placed all of the organs into special boxes with name placards; then he used a secret power-washing hose in thoroughly cleaning Fernanda up all over including the backside as well. Afterwards, he sewed her up and used some lathering all over Fernanda's naked skinless body including slowly massaging all over her body including massaging her hands, fingers, breasts, stomach, vagina, legs, thighs and feet.

Lifting her off of the heavy black stretcher, Giorgio placed Fernanda's naked body into a massive deep pool container, where he applied mysterious concoction that caused massive purges of gases coming out of her entire body including her nose and mouth which lasted several hours while Giorgio took a shower.

Around 4:00 AM, Giorgio returned to the secret lab and opened up the pool container, Fernanda was faced down floating and looked very perfect at normal size. He lifted her out of the container, walked down the hall and placed her into a glass-container swimming pool (which had lights on the floor of the pool) before sealing the lid shut before turning off the lights of this secret room and went to get another shower before finally heading to bed.​

 

[Sergeant Foley]

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS ANNOUNCED FOR THE LATE MEXICAN FIRST LADY FERNANDA ARIZMENDI
*Public Viewing to be held in Yucatan, Quintana Roo between 11 July-15 July 1981.

*Special Service of Memory held earlier on afternoon of 11 July 1981.

*Flag-draped casket of the late Mexican First Lady to be flown on Presidential aircraft back to Mexico City.

*Private Family Viewing inside Los Pinos during service only for family and friends on 15 July 1981.

*16 July 1981: Procession from Los Pinos to the National Palace begins with military honors.
*Flag-draped casket of the late Mexican First Lady will be carried on military truck caisson during the procession.

*16 July-20 July 1981: Public Viewing
National Palace Museum
Mexico City, Mexico

*Funeral Mass:
10:00 AM
Monday, 20 July 1981
Bascilica of Our Lady Guadalupe
Villa de Guadalupe, Mexico City

*Procession from Bascilica of Our Lady Guadalupe to the Santa Lucia Air Base begins.
*Departure Honors ensue as the casket will be placed inside the special aircraft that will take the late Mexican First Lady Fernanda Arizmendi back to her beloved home State of Quintana Roo.

*Private Entombment
Monday, 20 July 1981
Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico

The Presidential Office announced that the interment of the late Mexican First Lady Fernanda Arizmendi will be extremely private and also confirmed upon construction of a tomb in the outskirts of Isla Mujeres will be where the First Lady will be entombed at a later date depending on the unspecified details on how long it'll take building and constructing the Arizmemdi Liberty Great Mausoleum due to possibilities such as the weather or other unspecified logistics.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CEREMONIAL FUNERAL FESTIVITIES OF MEXICAN FIRST LADY FERNANDA ARIZMENDI

20 July 1981: Crowds of mourners and spectators estimation of over 72,000 saying goodbye to Mexican First Lady Fernanda Arizmendi during the funeral procession in Mexico City following funeral services at Basilica of Our Lady Guadalupe.​

*From 11 July to 15 July 1981, the late Mexican First Lady Fernanda Arizmendi laid in repose inside the sanctuary of Church of the Immaculada Concepcion in Isla Mujeres, where approximately 137,000 people paid their respects filing past her open casket during the three-days. A Special Service of Memory was held in the late First Lady's honor. In the early afternoon hours of July 15th, the flag-draped casket was placed aboard the Presidential Aircraft which took five hours before arriving at Santa Lucia Air Base, where an Honor Guard of the Mexican Air Force personnel troops carried the late First Lady's flag-draped casket, placing it into a special State Hearse that was accompanied by members of the Robles and Arizmendi families including Federal law enforcement agencies as the procession from Santa Lucia Air Base entered the heart of Mexico City, filing past throngs of mourners waving Mexican flags and pictures of their beloved popular First Lady.

Upon arriving at Los Pinos (Residence of the Mexican President and First Family), anonymous sources confirmed the casket was opened once again where the family held a private viewing inside the private chambers of the presidential palace before heading off to the private family quarters; the casket was closed again. On July 16th, the military procession marched from Los Pinos all the way to the National Palace Museum in downtown Mexico City, where the flag-draped casket was carried by a special military truck caisson as the long line of limousines containing the family and agents of the Presidential General Staff including motorcyclists of the Mexican Federal Police and Mexico City Metropolitan Police Department; Following another special ceremony inside the National Palace Museum and after the Robles family left to return to Los Pinos, thousands of mourners filed past the closed flag-draped casket inside. Many of the visitors included members of the Diplomatic Corps from 60 countries including several foreign dignitaries.

On the morning of 20 July 1981, a Ceremonial Funeral service was held in Fernanda's honor at the Basilica of Our Lady Guadalupe in Villa de Guadalupe, Mexico City. Several political leaders from parts of Mexico and across the world attended the ceremony, as did actors, actresses, professional athletes, beauty pageant contestants and other rank-and-file individuals. Many of the foreign dignitaries had an opportunity to meet with Mexican President General Oscar Robles face-to-face, including US Secretary of State Alexander Haig (who represented the Reagan administration), British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, French President Francis Mitterrand (who met with Robles in their first bilateral meeting hours following the funeral service). Following the three-hour funeral services, the closed flag-draped casket of the late Mexican First Lady was then carried by Honor Guard personnel of the Mexican Armed Forces and placed back onto the special military truck caisson and the final procession began: slowly marching back to Santa Lucia Air Base, where the Departure Honors Ceremony began with a loud thundering final 21 Cannon Salute was fired by the Field Regiment of the Mexican Army that included a flyover from the F-16 fighter jets of the Mexican Air Force in Fernanda's honor as the Honor Guard personnel folded the Mexican flag, which was given to President Robles who humbly accepted and placed the folded Mexican flag in a special case before giving it to his daughter, Donna Belle who was quite strong and composed. Following the Departure Honors festivities, the casket of the late Mexican First Lady was then placed into the Presidential aircraft which then took off for the return flight to Isla Mujeres as members of the Robles family returned back to Los Pinos.

Upon arriving in Isla Mujeres, Fernanda's casket was placed into a special hearse which drove slowly through the streets of Isla Mujeres before arriving at their destination of a secluded area when the live coverage ended. Reportedly, it's said that Fernanda's casket was taken into an undisclosed secret location during an exclusive secretive private ceremony while plans were being made on constructing her final resting place called the Arizmendi Great Liberty Mausoleum in the outskirts of Isla Mujeres and that final completion could take awhile possibly years depending on the severe weather and other logistics because of the long dragged-out building and construction planning.

COMING SOON IN THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC: Part II of the Creepy Greek Embalmer perfecting the special perfect masterpiece.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

REAGAN ASKS FOR PUBLIC SUPPORT OF TAX CUTS

​

*Monday, July 27, 1981: In a nationally-televised speech, President Ronald Reagan explained, in one of the most simplest terms about his proposal for the largest tax cut in the United States, and asked for the public "contact your Senators and Congressmen. Tell them of your support for this bipartisan proposal." Americans followed suit taking the President's suggestion and within two days later, the tax cut proposal passed the Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives (240-195), and in the Republican-controlled United States Senate (91-11).

EARTHQUAKE DEATH TOLL MIGHT HIT 5,000 IN IRAN
*Tuesday, July 28, 1981: A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the Kerman province of Iran, around Shahdad. The initial death toll estimates have been concluded as high around 5,000. The death toll would later be revised by the United Nations on 5 August 1981, when they reported only 1,500 died in the magnitude earthquake. Considered one of the biggest test for Queen Farah Diba Pahlavi, who ascended to the throne on 12 March 1979 upon the death of her husband, the late Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, making her the first female Head of State in the Middle East.

CHARLES, DIANA WED IN SPLENDOR-ALL OF THE WORLD WATCHES ROYAL WEDDING CEREMONY

​

*Wednesday, July 29, 1981: Prince Charles of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer took place at the Saint Paul's Cathedral in London, United Kingdom. Billed as the "fairytale wedding" and "wedding of the 20th Century", an estimated global television audience of 750 million watched the royal wedding. Several key events were held all over the Commonwealth to mark the wedding.

​

 

[Sergeant Foley]

COMING SOON IN THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC
Part I of the Summary and Recap on the Foreign Policy of the Reagan Administration

​

 

[Sergeant Foley]

NSFW DISCLAIMER: The following installment will be quite gruesome, grisly and erotic. Viewer discretion is advised.

Personal PoV's: Eccentric methods of the Creepy Greek Embalmer (Part II)
1:44 AM EST, Friday, July 31, 1981
Somewhere in the outskirts of
Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Giorgio thoroughly slowly removing Fernanda's skin from head to toe inside the underground sound-proof lab.
​

Giorgio was inside the secret lab in an extremely sound-proof room in the middle of a heavily secluded island, he was analyzing the different chemicals in applying on his special masterpiece: the late Mexican First Lady Fernanda Arizmendi.

While all of Mexico was moving on with their daily normal lives, Giorgio and Irene Evanggeliou were busy perfecting their masterpiece on the late First Lady of the United Mexican States and this was going to take awhile. Dating back to the late evening hours of July 20th when the Evanggeliou's took Fernanda's casket out of the hearse inside one of the secret underground tunnels; wheeling it all the way down to the secret lab, where they lifted Fernanda out of the casket and placed her on the large soft surface steel-slab.

Irene had the most easiest job of all: removing the long-sleeve simple white dress off of Fernanda; she also removed all of the undergarments including her thong, leaving Fernanda naked and barefoot (Fernanda was lying on her back atop the soft surface steel-slab with her legs spread wide) before Giorgio came inside the lab to carefully lift Fernanda's naked body and placing her into a glass-container pool for several days.

In the midnight hours of July 31st, Giorgio snuck inside only wearing a red robe and nothing else. "You look so beautiful inside and outside, even though you're dead, time to remove this skin which looks bloated," he said while caressing Fernanda's naked body.

Placing her back atop the soft surface steel-slab, Giorgio thoroughly removed the entire skin off of Fernanda's body from head to toe, revealing her completely skinless naked and barefoot. He then lathered her up with some gooing-gel liquid by massaging all over Fernanda's entire body from head to toe. He then carried Fernanda's skinless naked body across the hall to a sound-proof room locking the doors with double locks,where inside the bedroom, he placed her on the bed; Giorgio removed his robe; naked and barefoot, crawled on top of the bed, spread Fernanda's legs wide open and slowly thoroughly penetrated her all night long as he engaged in sexual intercourse throughout the entire evening. Sometime around the morning hours of August 1st, Giorgio lifted Fernanda's skinless naked body and carried her back to an extra-large glass container swimming pool, where he laid Fernanda on her stomach and sealed the lid shut, turning on the bright lights.

COMING SOON IN THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC: Part III of the Creepy Greek Embalmer's gruesome eccentricities in thoroughly perfecting the masterpiece of the late Mexican First Lady Fernanda Arizmendi.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

BREAKING NEWS ALERT: TEXAS STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL PRICE DANIEL, JR., (D) FOUND SHOT TO DEATH AT HIS LIBERTY RESIDENCE

​

*Texas Governor William P. Clements, Jr., (R) orders flags across the Lone Star State to fly half-mast.
*Daniel, Jr., was considered one of the potential contenders for the Texas Governor's Mansion in 1982.
*Scion of the Daniel family political dynasty.
*Estranged wife, Vickie Loretha Carroll Moore Daniel taken into custody.

*Saturday, August 1, 1981: Texans woke up to one of the most shocking and stunning news which likely will have major political ramifications across the Lone Star State: Texas State Attorney General Marion Price Daniel, Jr., (D) , the son of former United States Senator and former Texas Governor Marion Price Daniel, Sr., (D), was found shot to death in his Liberty residence by law enforcement officers during an 911 emergency call.

Liberty County Sheriff CL "Buck" Echols explained "the house was in perfect order and food was even being prepared on the stove when we arrived." Echols also said that Daniel's estranged second wife, former Dairy Queen waitress Vickie Loretha Carroll Moore (whom Daniel married on 1 November 1976) was screaming and acting hysterically saying "Price has been hurt." when paramedics and other medics had to take her to the hospital and no other details were being available because the investigation into the death of the Texas State Attorney General is underway and ongoing.

Reports indicated Daniel, Jr., was found inside between the hall and carport, he was shot in the stomach. A 22 caliber rifle was found in the bedroom of the residence.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

*"With Daniel Jr's shocking death, the political ramifications for 1982 escalate"
Dallas Morning News: 7 August 1981.

*Clements appointing Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Joe R. Greenhill as Texas State Attorney General to serve out remainder of Daniel Jr's term"
Texas Monthly: 12 August 1981.

*Dallas Congressman launching campaign for Texas State Attorney General in 1982: Who is Jim Mattox and how will he run the State Attorney General's office?"
Fort Worth Star-Telegram: 13 August 1981.

*United States Senator Mark W. White, Jr., (D-TX) makes it official: I'm running for Governor in 1982. Could he be the Democrats' savior next fall?"
Austin American Statesman: 14 August 1981.

*Bentsen, Hobby, etc., forging aggressive statewide GOTV efforts ahead of 1982 elections
Houston Chronicle: 15 August 1981.

*Bullock abandons gubernatorial campaign; will seek reelection as Comptroller of Public Accounts in 1982
San Antonio Express-News: 16 August 1981.

*Unity! Unity! Unity: Texas Democrats working hard to avoiding repeat of 1978.
ABC 24 KVUE-TV Austin: 16 August 1981.

*Rising Star in National Politics? That could happen if Senator White knocks out Clements in 1982.
Texas Monthly: 17 August 1981.

*Jockeying for Position: Senator White's US Senate seat if he wins the Texas Governor's Mansion in 1982: Ambitious list of Democrats interested in getting that Senate seat.
Houston Post: 18 August 1981.

*"I'll put the brakes on the opposition", Clements declares aggressive changes across state government if reelected in 1982.
Dallas Magazine: 19 August 1981.

*Briscoe for United States Senator? Former Texas Governor not ruling out political comeback.
San Antonio Express News: 20 August 1981.

*Whitmire: Shaking up Houston City Hall and the Good Ole Boys Network.
Houston Chronicle: 21 August 1981.

*Cisneros mentioned as potential contender for US Senate seat if Senator White wins Texas Governor's Mansion in 1982.
CBS 5 KENS-TV San Antonio: 22 August 1981.

*Can Temple and Armstrong get any oxygen in crowded Democratic primary for Governor?
Austin Chronicle: 23 August 1981.

*Who is Ann Richards? And why does she want to be State Treasurer in 1982?
Austin American Statesman: 23 August 1981.

*Bentsen prepared for incoming Republican onslaught in their bid to defeat him in 1982: Political insiders expect Senior United States Senator to easily win reelection in 1982.
CBS 7 KTBC-TV Austin: 24 August 1981.

*Former US First Lady Lady Bird Johnson endorses United States Senator Mark W. White, Jr., (D-TX) for Governor in 1982.
NBC 36 KTTV-TV Austin: 25 August 1981.

COMING UP IN THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC: Political ramifications of the shocking shooting death of Texas State Attorney General Price Daniel, Jr., (D) and the major implications for the Texas Democratic Party as the 1982 elections come around the corner.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

AUTHOR'S NOTE FOR CHAPTER 12: Coming up this weekend, I'll be working on installments on the following international figures along with lots and lots of Personal PoV's.
*List of International figures to be worked on during the weekend and the Juneteenth holiday break:
*Egyptian President Anwar Al-Sadat.
*Argentine Republic President General Roberto Eduardo Viola.
*British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
*King Hussein and Queen Noor of Jordan.
*Personal PoV's (Summer 1981)
*Sports PoV's (NFL, CFB, NBA, MLB, NHL)
*Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco.
*King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia.
*French President Francois Mitterrand.
*Personal PoV's (Fall 1981)
*Gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia.
*The Plot to oust Viola: Galtieri's rise to the Presidential Palace.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

......"The shooting death of Daniel, Jr., cleared the pathway for Senator White's chances of being the Democratic Party nominee for the Governorship as well as winning back the Governor's Mansion in 1982. Let's be honest: Marion Price Daniel, Jr., was something of a contradiction.

Professionally: he was firing on all political and legal cylinders as Texas State Attorney General. On the personal front: Daniel, Jr., was an utter and complete mess plus his chaotic marriage to that ditzy Dairy Queen was a complete disaster from the very beginning.

Sorry he's gone and all, but there was no way Marion Price Daniel, Jr., was ever going to be Governor of Texas. Too many skeletons in the closet and way too many secrets that I'm sure Clements and his clique would've exploited in harsh hitting television negative advertising commercials if we picked the younger Daniel as our nominee.

Armstrong and Temple both held down-ballot statewide offices as Commissioner of the General Land Office and Railroad Commissioner respectively, but neither had the charisma or Capitol Hill experience that White had since Briscoe appointed him to Tower's US Senate seat in 1977 and easily won the special election later that early Summer and winning a full six-year term in 1978, securing back-to-back statewide elections in his belt."
Excerpt from "Doing Right and Risking the Consequences: Mark Wells White, Jr., and his rise to the Presidency"
Spring 2004

 

[Sergeant Foley]

LIST OF INTERNATIONAL TRIPS OF PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN (PART I)

*(Mexico) Cuidad Juarez
5 January 1981: Met with Mexican President General Oscar Robles (Reagan's visit as President-elect).

*(Canada) Ottawa (State Visit)
10-11 March 1981: Met with Governor-General Edward Scharfter and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau; Addressed Joint Session of Canadian Parliament.

*(Canada) Ottawa; Montebello
19-21 July 1981: Attended the 7th G7 Summit.

*(Mexico) Cancun
21-24 October 1981: Attended the North/South Summit on International Cooperation and Development. Met with the Heads of State and Government of Algeria; Bangladesh; Canada; France; Guyana; India; Japan; Mexico; Nigeria; the Philippines; Saudi Arabia; Sweden; Taiwan; Tanzania; United Kingdom; Venezuela and Yugoslavia.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

The Reagan Foreign Policy Doctrine (Part I)
Spring/Summer 1981

28 January 1981: US President Ronald Reagan and US First Lady Nancy Reagan with Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Seaga and his wife, Mitzy Seaga. ​

Coming into office, Reagan was determined to combating and defeating communism------especially in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The President and his advisers focused on El Salvador, Nicaragua and Cuba. Haig at the State Department, preferred to make El Salvador one of his main test-cases of Foreign Policy. Immediately, conflicts quickly escalated between the White House and the State Department; there was also conflicts with Congress which complicated and frustrated the Reagan administration's bold foreign policy priorities.

The inner circle of the Reagan White House also had problems with Haig, whom First Lady Nancy Reagan strongly derided him as "not being a team player" along with other potshots considering he was a loyalist of the Nixon and Ford administrations.

Continuing the Rockefeller and Holton administrations' support of the Salvadoran military government, Reagan approved more US military aid to supporting the right-wing Salvadoran military government in crushing leftwing militants and opponents.

Reagan adopted a double-pronged approaches toward authoritarian governments in Africa, Asia and Latin America. While the Central Intelligence Agency provided military assistance to staunch anti-communist "freedom fighters" in combatting left-wing governments, the State Department provided diplomatic incentives to right-wing governments in allowing open, free and fair democratic elections.

Like his predecessors, Reagan staunchly supported and backed right-wing and staunch conservative governments of the following: Mexican President General Oscar Robles; Guatemalan President General Fernando Romeo Lucas Garcia ; Paraguayan President General Alfredo Stroessner; Bolivian President General Celso Torrelio; Uruguayan President Gregorio Alvarez; Peruvian President Fernando Belaunde; Chilean President Captain General Augusto Pinochet; Argentine Republic President General Roberto Viola; Brazilian President Joao Figueiredo; Indonesian President Suharto; Republic of Korea President Chun Doo-hwan and Philippine President Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr.,

2 February 1981: US President Ronald Reagan with ROK President Chun Doo-hwan inside the Oval Office of the White House during Chun's historic visit to the United States that included visits to Los Angeles, California; New York City, New York State; Washington, DC and Honolulu, Hawaii from 29 January to 6 February 1981.​

 

[Sergeant Foley]

1978 COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL GAMES HEADLINES (PART II)

1978 COTTON BOWL CLASSIC: MONTANA ENERGIZED BY CHICKEN SOUP, LEADS FIGHTING IRISH COMEBACK TO DEFEAT HOUSTON

​

*1 January 1979: Trailing 34-12 against Southwestern Conference champion #9 Houston Cougars in what many referred to as "The Chicken Soup Game", Senior Fighting Irish quarterback Joe Montana led the Irish with a resounding 22-0 comeback in the fourth quarter at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas in his final collegiate football game to win the Cotton Bowl Classic by a final score of 35-34.

Montana, who had been battling the flu, sat out the first half of the game including most of the third quarter, was eating chicken soup. The Cougars had a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter with 7:37 when all of sudden, things began to turn quickly. Notre Dame's Tony Belden blocked by the Cougars' punting attempt, which caused the ball to shoot up in the air, falling into the arms of Steve Cichy, who ran 33 yards for the touchdown; Montana threw for the two-point conversion, reducing the deficit to 34-20. After Houston's offense stalled again and they had to punt the ball back, the Fighting Irish led by Montana went down the field for 61 yards, scoring another touchdown, further reducing the deficit to just 34-28; The Cougars panicked and panicked, but as usual their offense kept stalling at the wrong time.

Despite the Cougars defense forcing a turnover when linebacker David Hodge stripped Montana of the football, time was of the essence and the Cougars had one specific job: get the first down and the game is over..... They never got the first down when at the 29-yard-line, the Fighting Irish defense led by Joe Gramke and Mike Calhoun slammed the door shut by preventing Cougars running back Emmett King from getting the first down, pushing him back. There was only 28 seconds left, Montana ran for 11 yards; then hit Kris Haines for a 10-yard gain to the 8-yard line, who ran out of bounds. There was only just six seconds left on the clock and despite an incomplete pass, Montana decided to throw the ball to Haines for the touchdown, which the Irish scored with no time left on the game clock and the extra point (kicked by Joe Unis) was good, The Fighting Irish won the Cotton Bowl Classic by a final score of 35-34, completing one of the biggest comebacks in college football history.

The Fighting Irish ended the 1978 campaign with a record of (9-3) while the Cougars finished (9-3).

1978 ROSE BOWL: PAC-10 CHAMPION #3 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TROJANS DEFEAT BIG 10 CO-CHAMPION #5 MICHIGAN WOLVERINES 17-10 IN 65TH ROSE BOWL GAME; WINS COACHES POLL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

​

1978 ORANGE BOWL: BIG EIGHT CO-CHAMPION #4 OKLAHOMA SOONERS DEFEAT CO-CHAMPION #6 NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS 31-24 IN REMATCH FROM 11 NOVEMBER 1978 REGULAR SEASON MATCHUP GAME IN LINCOLN​

​

1978 GATOR BOWL CHAOS: ACC CHAMPION #7 CLEMSON TIGERS (11-1) DEFEAT #20 OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (7-4-1) IN WILD ENDING 17-15; LEGENDARY OHIO STATE BUCKEYES FOOTBALL HEAD COACH WOODY HAYES FIRED​

​

1978 FIESTA BOWL GAME ENDS IN 10-10 TIE BETWEEN #8 ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS (9-2-1) AND #15 UCLA BRUINS (8-3-1)​

​

 

[Sergeant Foley]

1979 COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL GAMES SHORT RECAP HEADLINES (PART II)

1979 ORANGE BOWL: BIG EIGHT CHAMPION #5 OKLAHOMA SOONERS (11-1) EASILY THROTTLE #4 FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES (11-1) IN ORANGE BOWL 24-7.

1979 ROSE BOWL: PAC-10 CHAMPION #3 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TROJANS (11-0-1) DEFEATS BIG 10 CHAMPION #1 OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (11-1) IN THE GRANDDADDY OF THEM ALL: 66TH ROSE BOWL GAME, 17-16.

COTTON BOWL CLASSIC: SOUTHWESTERN CONFERENCE CO-CHAMPION #8 HOUSTON COUGARS (11-1) DEFEAT #7 NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (10-2) BY FINAL SCORE 17-14.

SUN BOWL: #13 WASHINGTON HUSKIES (10-2) DEFEATS #11 TEXAS LONGHORNS (9-3) IN DEFENSIVE BATTLE OF THE 1979 SUN BOWL GAME

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