Fire, Fire, Ring the Bell!

摘要

The recent wildfires in California caused great angst and heartache for many in or near their paths. Homes were lost to fire. Pets and livestock perished. Some lost all but the shirts on their backs. Photographs and news footage told only part of the story. The most powerful image for me was of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, as the Easy fire approached the 100-acre compound where the President and First Lady are buried, and the library houses SAM 27000, the presidential Boeing 707 aircraft that flew presidents and VIPs from 1962 to 1998. While working for a major alphabet TV network, I covered the White House and was fortunate to ride that very same 27000, callsign Air Force One.