Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln...


"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

- Abraham Lincoln

On this day...

In a small cabin on the outskirts of Hodgenville in the woods of Kentucky was born on this day in 1809 perhaps the greatest president this nation has ever had. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America and "Preserver of the Union" was the steward for this nation in its most trying time...

It is no wonder that Lincoln was a hero to Walt Disney. When the Maestro created the exhibit for the World's Fair he wanted to show the world just why he felt Mr. Lincoln was such a defining force in the building of America.

He died at the age of 56 just days after winning a war that was anything but civil. He was watching a production of "Our American Cousin" at the Ford Theater when John Wilkes Booth entered the Lincoln's balcony from behind and pointed a pistol at the back of the president's head. Booth thought he was killing a tyrant. He thought he would be famous. Unknowingly, he killed a giant and was forever after remembered infamously.

When Walt was born, Lincoln would have been dead less than forty years so the war to keep the nation together would have been more fresh in the minds of people growing up in Missouri or Illinois or any other state for that manner. Walt loved President Lincoln so much that he even dressed up as him once as a young boy. The world would know Walt Disney as the an unbridled champion of American ideals but without Abraham Lincoln the Walt we know today would probably not be the same person...

That is the cause and affect of great men...

Sometimes men of purpose are born great, other are made great from their actions and the events that surround them.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln.

3 comments:

Mr. Lincoln said...

Thank you!

(Sorry couldn't resist)

Anonymous said...

Great tribute, Honor.

Lincoln was a great president and a great man. I wish they would open the GMWML exibit back up.

Unknown said...

Nicely done! Thanks.