The President. And I used to think I wanted an Oscar. [Laughter] Oh, believe it or not, I am speechless. [Laughter] Oh, I knew that she got away with making the deal with the Soviets for the arms thing and so forth— [laughter] —but I never believed that she could accomplish anything like this. [Laughter] Incidentally, when was it that you were doing all that stuff with the Russians that I read about? [Laughter]
Well, all of you here—and to think that I kept trying to get Howard [Baker] to drop the packages and let me bring them over here. I didn't know why he was going to all that trouble. [Laughter] But, yes, it was a surprise, but I don't know of a happier surprise-all of you here, so many of you so dear to both of us. And I couldn't have imagined this in my wildest times. A matter of fact, I had it figured that we'd be just about getting into the helicopter now to go to Camp David, and I'm glad we're not.
But I don't know how to thank you, and Marvin—a song of my very own. [Laughter]
Mr. Hamlisch. That's yours.
The President. I've got to take singing lessons. [Laughter] But thank you all very much for all that you've done.
Mr. Hamlisch. We're all going to now sing one song that I didn't write, but I think it's the appropriate song.
Note: The President spoke at 1:54 p.m. in the East Room at the White House. Prior to the President's remarks, Marvin Hamlisch, accompanied by members of the Army Band and singer Donna Marie Elio, performed a song he had written entitled "He's Our Man (The Ronald Reagan March)" and presented a framed copy of the score to the President. Following Mr. Hamlisch's remarks, the guests sang "Happy Birthday."
Ronald Reagan, Remarks During the President's 77th Birthday Celebration Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/252815
