Memorial Ceremony for President Ronald Reagan, Late President of the United States - 2004-06-10

Hundreds of Americans paid their final respects to President Ronald Reagan, the late President of the United States, whose casket was placed in the U.S. Capitol. The Rotunda of the Capitol was opened on Wednesday afternoon to those who came to pay their respects and participate in the official memorial ceremony. Some of these individuals stood in line all day. Hundreds of prominent American figures also attended the ceremony. Dick Cheney, the Vice President of the United States, stated during the ceremony that the national mourning shows how much America loved Mr. Reagan. Hundreds of high-ranking officials from the Bush administration, members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, and diplomats from around the world attended Mr. Reagan's memorial. Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was among those who paid their respects to Mr. Reagan. The casket carrying the body of the late President was transported by horse-drawn carriage to the Capitol after being flown from California to Washington, D.C. Mr. Reagan's body will be returned to California after a service at the National Cathedral in Washington on Friday, where he will be buried in a private ceremony that evening.