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Ronald Reagan carrier christened
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FORMER first lady Nancy Reagan on Sunday christened the US Navy's newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier -- the Ronald Reagan -- in a bittersweet ceremony evoking the former Republican president's glory days and current infirmity.
Braving a chill wind and intermittent rain, President George W Bush lavished praise on Reagan in a nostalgic tribute at the Newport News Shipbuilding Yard, with the ship swathed in red, white and blue bunting and shrouded by mist.
Reagan, 90, did not attend the event and he has rarely ventured out in public since he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994. He is currently recovering after breaking his hip in January.
Nancy Reagan, who married Reagan 49 years ago on Sunday, wore a fur-trimmed coat and black gloves as she slammed the champagne bottle against the ship's bow, flinching at the spray and flinging drops from her hands afterward.
"It is true that today is our 49th wedding anniversary. I want to thank the Navy for giving us such a wonderful present. Such a little thing,'' she said, drawing laughter as she glanced over her shoulder at the towering ship.
``I wish Ronnie were here,'' she added. ``But, somehow, I think he is.''
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