nancy reagan worked tirelessly to protect her husband, president ronald reagan, from harm. ambition of his advisers and negative publicity. the couple's strong bond was renowned. from the silver screen to the governors mansion to the white house, her devotion to her husband never wavered. >> i was very blessed to find him. >> in the decade after ronald reagan's diagnosis of

alzheimer's disease she became the former president's primary caregiver. >> each day brings another reminder of this very long good-bye. >> following his death in 2004 she became an outspoken public advocate for stem-cell research, a scientific effort that promised hope for patients of alzheimer's and other illnesses. in this hour the hollywood love story that would become a political success story. "the life of nancy reagan." ♪ >> i'm lester holt. welcome to an msnbc special presentation, "th"nancy reagan: life remembered." a president's wife is automatically a force be reckoned with.

first ladies are often in the news, closely watched, often controversial. so it was with nancy reagan. one of the most criticized, admired, and influential first laids in recent history. she was a focus of national attention throughout her eight years in the white house, for everything from her clothes to her campaign against drugs to her influence on the president. one thing no one questioned, her absolute devotion to ronald reagan. even those close toss him acknowledged he might never have made it to the white house or been as successful as president without her. from hollywood in the '50s to the california statehouse in the '60s and the white house in the '80s, the reagans remained inseparable. during the former president's long descent into alzheimer's disease, nancy reagan was his chief caregiver and the keeper of his legacy. >> the ronald reagan presidential library and museum. inside, one of the great american love stories of our

time. there you are at the ranch. >> in malibu. and you can see the fences haven't been painted here yet. i hadn't gotten to those. i painted all the white fences. >> by hand? >> by hand. i accused him later of marrying me to get his fences painted. >> nancy davis majored in drama, came to hollywood and married ronald reagan in 1952. >> we met each other out here on the west coast through mervyn leroy, hoy remember every night in my prayers. and i was having a little difficulty because there were other nancy davises. and i was getting the mail of one of them. and mervyn said that he knew ronnie, who was then president of the guild, and that he could solve my problem, he hoped. and ronnie had never met me but i certainly ly knew who he was

i thought that was a dandy idea. he says he solved my problem by changing my name. >> how would she feel about having her husband be president? >> you have to be of course, very flattered that anybody would think of him in these terms. but oh -- i've said often, and i really mean it that my heart goes out to any man, republican or democrat, holding that office now. i think it's now so awesome and the responsibility is so tremendous that i just feel terribly sorry for any man holding that office. >> mrs. reagan, someone me, i don't know how true this is, that you were very frightened of the possibilities which always exist of assassination of a candidate. perhaps more so than the other

wives because of opportunities for assassination to take place in california. is this on your mind? >> well, i think it's probably on all wives' minds. i don't see how it could help but be. i don't know whether i'm more frightened than anybody else. unfortunately, it has to be on your mind now. but you -- i was very happy when they assigned the secret service to us and i feel much better. but you take all the precautions that you can take. and you go ahead and live your life. that's all you can do. >> nancy reagan with msnbc's barbara walters in 1968. california governor ronald reagan was a favorite son presidential candidate to the gop convention that summer. the nomination went to richard nixon. eight years later reagan fell short again, losing the nomination to gerald ford. but 1980 would be his year and

his number one campaigner was nancy reagan. >> she's been a great campaigner. and every place she's gone, now and then while we're together a great deal, now and then they do separate us. send her out to do something on her own. as i say, i've tried to talk her into being candidate and i'd stay home. >> is nancy reagan the same person as nancy davis of a number of years ago? >> no. >> sure. yes. same girl i married. and i'm a very lucky fellow. >> what kind of a first lady would you be? >> me. everybody's different. everybody handles a job differently. within their own particular personality. characteristics. and i'd be me.

>> do either of you, do you think that a first lady should stake out her own turf, as it were, as in fact recent first ladies have? let me leave it at that. is that a proper role for a first lady? >> i guess so. everyone i suppose would do it differently. you have to remember what really happens by tradition and custom in this country is that the voters vote for a president, but they actually get two people. one of them free. >> do you ever, ever in a moment's notice at the end of a long day of campaigning think to yourself, oh, why didn't ronnie just stay the host of the general electric theater and let me go about being an actress? >> no. i never wanted to continue being an actress after i got married. ever. ever. no. i'd seen too many marriages break up. and i didn't want to take that chance. >> there has come to be, i am told, by other political wives, something called the nancy

reagan dgaze, where when your husband is speaking -- i know you're aware of it. >> yeah. >> i've seen it. 1966. when your husband is speaking, the expression is nothing less than adoration. >> well. >> is that it? >> that's it. >> some people would say, that's just acting. >> no, no. but you know -- if anybody would speaking, if you were speaking, tom -- >> even me? >> now wait a minute -- i would be looking at you. >> in the same way? >> no. no, not in the same way. the expression would be different. or my marriage would be in big trouble. >> nancy reagan's devotion to ronald reagan would become the stuff of political legend. it sustained him throughout the 1980 presidential campaign. as it would when that campaign successfully landed them in the white house and him in the hospital after an assassination attempt. all that and more when "nancy reagan: a life remembered" continues.

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he's a wonderful man with, as i say, with tremendous integrity and courage and tenderness. and every woman should be as lucky as i am. >> ronald reagan was an unexceptional actor who became a first-rate politician, gifts with charm, conviction, and a legendary ability to communicate. he first tried for the republican presidential nomination in 1968. 12 years later, with nancy by his side as always, he got it. and set out to unseat jimmy carter. rosalind carter had been a sometime controversial first lady, occasionally sitting in on cabinet meetings. what would nancy be like? >> what role do you think the wife of a president should have in the white house?

>> whatever she wants it to be. >> what is in your mind? you have to be thinking about it a little bit. >> i promise you, and you won't believe me, i promise you, i'm not. everybody has to take -- do their own -- do it their own way. and my way is to take one step at a time. one day at a time. >> i think what you're seeing here is not being coy but both of us have this a little bit, but i don't have it quite as much as she does, but nancy is very much afraid of tempting fate. she feels in other words if she would a fighter she'd go to the weigh-in and say, i'll knock him out in the third round. >> i know you've been unhappy about publicity for your children, for example. does that make you think twice about the white house? >> every once in a while. mixed feelings about it. sure, of course you have mixed feelings. you think, i have a pretty wonderful life. and we're giving up a lot. but then i am truly concerned

about what's happening in our country. if it means giving up something, then -- it's worth it. >> nancy reagan would be giving up more than she knew. a couple of weeks later her husband was elected president. the following january, he was sworn in. and nancy reagan set out on an unforgettable eight years as first lady. one of her first interviews was with nbc's chris wallace. >> how do you balance your role as first lady with your role as mrs. reagan, as wife? >> my role as mrs. reagan comes first. >> always? >> always. >> a lot of feminists that i know are worried about you. and the question they ask is they say, is she going to play any role at all in pushing women's issues the way that betty ford did and rose lin cart der? >> i'll push the issues -- i'm not going to be like anybody else. i'm going to be nancy reagan.

so i'll push the things that i'm interested in. >> i've heard stories that you're up at 11:00 or 12:00 at night moving furniture around? >> yes, yes. my poor husband is looking all over for me. >> and you're literally in some room trying to redecorate it? >> yes, i suddenly get an idea and i get compulsive about it. i enjoy it. >> mrs. reagan, in the months since the election, i think you'd agree that you have become something of a controversial figure. you've been criticized for trying to run the carters out of the white house, for spending too much money on clothes. why are you getting such a bad press? >> well, chris, maybe you could tell me. i don't know. and besides, i think that's -- i think that's in the past. and i'm looking forward to the future and what we're doing right now. >> do you regret telling the world that you have a tiny little gun?

>> well, a tiny little gun disappeared quite a long time ago. i had the tiny little gun when my husband was away, a great deal of the time and i was alone. and i was advised to have a tiny little gun. >> the revelation that nancy reagan had once owned a handgun was just one of the minor controversies that swirled around her during her early days as first lady. but all that was instantly swept away by the events of march 30th, 1981. nancy reagan was not with her husband when he was almost killed by a gunman outside a washington hotel. but she rushed to his side at the hospital and helped him through his convalescence. it was a harrowing experience for nancy reagan and it changed her. one year later she looked back with nbc's chris wallace.

>> march 30th marks an anniversary i'm sure you won't be celebrating around here. one year from the day that someone took a shot at your husband. what do you remember about that day? >> oh. well. the shock of it, i suppose. actually, i remember everything about the day. and i guess it's -- it's something that you don't forget. i thought maybe it would fade a little. but it doesn't. >> do you and the president talk about it ever? >> nuh-uh. >> just isn't mentioned? >> no. >> do you think about it? >> oh, yes. oh, yes. every time he leaves. the house. particularly to go on a trip.

i think -- i think my heart stops till he gets back. >> really? >> mm. >> and you are thinking about the shooting and the possibility that it might happen again? >> well, it's just the whole -- the whole memory of it is very -- very fresh, very raw. >> is life, and i'm talking now in terms of the question of security and the burdens of the last year, is life not as much fun here in the white house as a result of this? you have called 1981 a lost year. has it taken the joy out of being first lady? >> well, it -- life is always peaks and valleys and that was certainly a valley. it's different. >> how so? >> well, you're just -- i just told you, every time he leaves

the house -- it's different. >> let me ask you one last thing. did the experience of the last year change the way you and the president view life? did it give you more of a sense of your mortality? >> oh, yes. oh, yes. rearrange your priorities very quickly. >> and how so, both you and the president, how have you rearranged your priorities? how has it changed your view of what your life is about? >> things that used to bother you terribly don't bother you as much anymore in the scheme of things. they take their proper place. and what's really important is at the top of the list.

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♪ ♪ hand in hand ♪ ♪ love a child to love a child ♪ to love a child >> nancy reagan with close friend frank sinatra in 1982. the reagan white house knew how to put on a show. the president's advisers were masters of the political image. the flattering photo op. one of the most famous images of the reagan presidency featured nancy following her speech to the 1984 republican convention. >> there's president reagan watching her on the television screen above the podium.

now there is a 1984 electronic image for you from the national convention. look at that she's waving to him and he doesn't realize it. you're on camera, mr. president. oh, hi. [ cheers and applause ] >> when you spoke before the convention you spoke extemporaneously. i was wondering whether you like campaigning. do you enjoy it? >> there are parts of it i enjoy, there are parts of it i

don't. i like -- i like people. i like meeting people. i like seeing people. and i like being with people. that part i like. >> it annoys the president, clearly, when it's suggested as it often is that you are the power behind the throne. >> not only annoys him, it annoys me. >> you tell us, how much influence do you have? >> i am not the power behind the throne. but i've gotten to the point now where i think i can say it just so off then and then if people are going to keep on saying it, there's nothing i can do about it. it's not true. >> how much influence do you have? >> well, i have some, of course. but then we've been married coming up 33 years. that's a long time. and he has influence over me, i have influence over him. naturally. >> in fact, nancy reagan had enormous influence as first lady. she neither had nor sought a

policy role but her utter devotion to ronald reagan's success as president made her a key player in his administration. more about that and about nancy's devotion as a former first lady, caring for a husband with alzheimer's, when "nancy reagan: a life remembered" returns. hold, because my dentures fit well. before those little pieces would get in between my dentures and my gum and it was uncomfortable. even well fitting dentures let in food particles. just a few dabs of super poligrip free is clinically proven to seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. so it's not about keeping my dentures in, it's about keeping the food particles out. try super poligrip free.

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i'm dara brown with the hour's top stories. democrats hillary clinton and bernie sanders squared off in flint, michigan, sunday night. their last debate before that state's tuesday primary. evidently early in the night bernie sanders won the main caucus. on the republican side, marco rubio won the puerto rico primary, taking all 23 delegates. mourning continues for former first lady nancy reagan, who died of heart failure at her bel air home sunday at the age of 94. ♪

welcome back to "nancy reagan: a life remembered." america's first ladies hold a mirror up to society. often without meaning to, they reflect our feelings about the role of women, the boundaries of marriage, the proper uses of political power. during her years in the white house, nancy reagan was no exception. she got off to a rocky start. there was controversy about her influence, her ambition, her taste for high style during hard economic times. and she had to endure an attempt on her husband's life. nbc's chris wallace took an extended look at first lady nancy reagan in 1985 midway through her white house years. >> i think i'm aware of people who are trying to take advantage of my husband. who are trying to end run him

lots of times. who are trying to use him. i'm very aware of that. all my little antennas go up. >> they say she was a major figure in helping push alexander hague and william clark out of the cabinet. and in helping mike bieber and james baker gain control of the first-term white house staff. they say she has generally sided with moderates over conservatives, more interested in seeing her husband win than ideology. they say mrs. reagan gets involved in personnel problems because mr. reagan doesn't like to. >> yes, it's difficult for me. if there is some disciplining that is needed or even some change of personnel. >> it sounds like he does occasionally hope that maybe you'll take that burden off his hands? >> no. >> it's -- it's -- harder for him. >> she has a soft touch. >> while mrs. reagan is deeply

involved in personnel she generally stays out of policy matters but not always. worried last year about democratic charges the president might get the u.s. in a war, mrs. reagan pushed her husband to cool his anti-soviet rhetoric and to meet with soviet foreign minister. members of the national security council said she held break in an administration deadlock on soviet policy between moderates and hardliners. >> i didn't think it was fair when i'd read he was a war monger, he was ready to go to war, so on. when i know that's completely untrue. >> the first lady's push paid big political dividends when the foreign minister visited the white house. blunting one of the democrats' best issues. during a reception that day, mrs. reagan had an encounter of her own. >> he turned and looked at me and said, is your husband in favor of peace or war? and i said, peace. and he said, you sure? and i said, i'm sure.

he said, well, then you whisper "peace" in his ear every night. and i said, i will. i'll also whisper it in your ear. >> reporter: mrs. reagan is far more comfortable dealing with politics and what works best for her husband. >> you be great. >> i'm going to break a leg. >> no. good luck. >> last month she sent him off from the white house family quarters to announce his tax reform plan on national television. the political pros around the white house regard the first lady as one of their own. a shrewd judge of how issues and politicians are received by the public. even if she is always the president's number one cheerleader. >> yay! >> one case study was mrs. reagan's reaction to the first debate with walter mondale and the president's fumbling performance. >> the system is still where it was with regard to -- the -- with regard to the progressivety

as i've said -- >> she was upset. and everybody knew it. and rightly so. >> how so? what did -- did she chew people out? >> i'm not going to get into that. you'd have to ask her that. >> i was upset. >> really? >> yes, i was upset. >> because? >> because i thought they'd gone about it all wrong. and they had. >> in terms of preparing the president? >> yes, they overloaded him. he knows all those things. they don't have to overload him. >> and will it change? >> well, second one was better, wasn't it. >> i will not make age an issue of this campaign. i am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience. [ laughter ] >> the first lady created a problem herself in the last campaign when she seemed to

prompt her husband in public. some cases were minor. at this rally pointing out where the american flag was. but other cases were not. >> doing everything we can. >> doing everything we can. >> the people were saying, the president needed prompting, she was acting as his ventriloquist. >> people say she was talking to herself, not prompting the president. >> she doesn't prompt you? >> no. >> how good a politician is mrs. reagan? >> absolutely sensational. don't you think so? >> took the words right out of my mouth. >> i she she's prompting you again. it's been suggested that your real motivating force in your involvement in politics is you want people to love him as much as you do.

>> mm-mm. i think they do, don't you? maybe not all of them. i do, yes. i do. >> from the start, mrs. reagan was certain he was the best man for the job. whether the job was governor of california or president of the united states. ♪ reagan for president reagan for president ♪ >> one former aide said she watch over mr. reagan like a tigress protecting her cub. she always provided the stable, affectionate home base he needed. and behind her public image as the adoring wife, she was a tough and savvy adviser. as the two of them complete a remarkable career in politics, insiders say mrs. reagan was indispensable. >> i sometimes think that if there weren't a nancy reagan, there wouldn't be a president ronald reagan or maybe even a governor ronald reagan. >> so help you, god. >> i congratulate you, sir. >> do you think you're more self-confident?

>> yes. because i think maybe more people like me. >> and it's easier to be a little more -- >> i'm -- if i think people like me, i'm better. >> you're willing to open up? >> yeah. >> back in 1981, it was the press that opened up, hitting mrs. reagan with a barrage of criticism. one of the big issues, the first lady spent more than $800,000, much contributed by friends, fixing up the white house. the problem was largely one of timing. mrs. reagan started her lavish redecoration just as her husband started cutting programs for the poor. and just as the country started sliding into recession. for many people, this contrast made the first lady look frivolous. or even worse, insensitive. and there was mrs. reagan's taste for $5,000 designer dresses which caused some to start calling her queenancy.

within months she had grown sensitive about even mentioning her clothes within range of reporters. >> bill blass i wore last night for mrs. thatcher i'm going to wear -- are we still on? >> as she looks back on all the criticism, mrs. reagan shares the blame for her problems with the media. >> i'm saying that i thought -- think there was probably fault on either side. i held back. and maybe they wentquickly. >> we felt, at least i did, that if nancy reagan became better known, the real nancy reagan became better known, she would be much better liked, that she would provide some political leverage and some strong support to the presidency. >> the president's image maker call the real nancy reagan was unveiled at the al smith dinner new york. >> there's a picture postcard of me as a queen.

now, that's silly. because i'd never wear a crown. it messes up your hair. >> that comment, chris, was a turnaround for her. namely, she was able to take a charge that i think hurt her and defuse it through humor. >> that was nothing compared to the gridiron dinner the following march. dressed like some bag lady, mrs. reagan sang a version of "secondhand rose" and smashed a china plate on stage. >> she walked on that stage and people were so astonished. they just rose from their seatsed aseats and started screaming. >> i remember i was scared to death. >> you could feel the attitude change in that room. >> do you think that what you wanted to accomplish that night, you did? >> well, they applauded. >> how do you explain the fact that people seem to like and be impressed with nancy reagan now?

>> well, i hope they like me. but i think it's been a process of getting to know me. and that took a long time. and congestion. no other nasal allergy spray can say that. when we breathe in allergens our bodies react by over producing six key inflammatory substances that cause our symptoms. most allergy pills only control one substance. flonase controls six. and six is greater than one. complete allergy relief or incomplete. let your eyes decide. flonase. 6>1 changes everything.

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days about what exactly i wanted to say today. how to put nancy's role in my life in perspective for you. but what do you say about someone who gives your life meaning? what do you say about someone who's always there with support and understanding, someone who makes sacrifices so that your life will be easier and more successful? what you say is that you love that person and pressure her. i simply can't imagine the last eight years without nancy. the presidency wouldn't have been the joy it's been for me without her there beside me and that second floor living quarters in the white house would have seemed a big and

lonely spot without her waiting for me every day at the end of the day. you know, she once said that a president has all kinds of advisers and experts who look after his interests when it comes to foreign policy, the economy, or whatever. but no one who looks after his needs as a human being. well, nancy has done that. for me, through recuperations and crises. every president should be so lucky. i think -- [ applause ] i think it's all too common in marriages that no matter how much partners love each other, they don't thank each other enough. and i suppose i don't thank nancy enough for all that she does for me. so nancy, in front of all your friends here today, let me say

thank you for all you do. thank you for your love. and thank you for just being you. >> ronald reagan honoring wife nancy at a luncheon in her honor during the 1988 republican convention. five months later, with the inauguration of george bush, the reagans said good-bye to washington and headed home to california. nancy reagan had looked forward to her husband's retirement and a chance to enjoy the fruits of their days in public life together. that enjoyment would be cut short. five years after he left office, ronald reagan was diagnosed with alzheimer's disease. at the 1996 republican convention, nancy reagan paid an emotional contribute to her absent husband. >> each day brings another reminder of this very long good-bye.

but ronnie's spirit, his optimism, his never-failing belief in the strength and goodness of america, is still very strong. if he were able to be here tonight, he would once again remind us of the power of each individual, urging us once again to fly as high as our wings will take us and to never, never give up on america. i can tell you with certainly that he still sees the shining city on the hill, a place full of hope and promise for us all. as you all know, i'm not the speechmaker in the family. so let me close with ronnie's words, not mine. in that last speech four years ago, he said, whatever else history may say about me when i'm gone, i hope it will record that i appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears.

to your confidence rather than your doubts. and may all of you as americans never forget your heroic origins, never fail to seek divine guidance, and never, never lose your natural god-given optimism. ronnie's optimism, like america's, still shines very brightly. may god bless him and from both of us, god bless america. >> ronald and nancy reagan were married in 1952 and their love for one another has only grown greater with the passage of time. they set out to make a life together and this amazing partnership helped change the world. now on a difficult journey, we

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when you look back on your remarkable life together, 47 years of marriage, all these triumphs and very difficult times along the way as well, what's the one memory that pleases you most? >> that i married ronnie. >> nothing beats that? >> nothing beats that. what would have happened to me if i hadn't married ronnie? >> i think you probably would have been okay. >> no, no. because there's never going to be another ronnie. this letter was written from the white house on march 4th, 1981. dear first lady, as president of the united states, it's my honor and privilege to cite you for service above and beyond the call of duty in that you have made one man, me, the most happy

man in the world for 29 years. >> that's nancy reagan reading a letter ronald reagan wrote her in 1981 on their 29th wedding anniversary, their first in the white house. she kept that note, just as she kept the hundreds of others he wrote her through the years. ronald reagan's letter-writing campaign to nancy began almost as soon as they met. it was the early 1950s and reagan was busy with his first career, making movies. he wrote this letter to nancy while filming a movie in arizona. we asked actor hal linden to read it for us. >> just a quick line from somewhere south of tucson, pronounced tucson. i know why the confederates lost, they were so damn hot in these uniforms they couldn't fight. there goes the bugle. farewell. wednesday, july 15th, 1953.

dear nancy pants. i supposed some people would find it unusual that you and i can so easily span 3,000 miles, but in truth it comes very naturally. man can't live without a heart. and you are my heart. i love you. >> nancy davis and ronald reagan were married on march 4th, 1952. the quiet ceremony was the beginning of a long, loving life together. truth is the early years were difficult. reagan frequently traveled, movie roles and tv programs took him on the road. he wrote his new bride from lonely hotel rooms across the country. >> sunday, march 20th, 1955. my darling, it's time to move on to the next town now and every move is a step toward home and you. i love you very much. and i don't even mind that life made me wait so long to find you. the waiting only made the

finding sweeter. when you get this, we will be almost halfway through the lonely stretch. i love you -- ronnie. >> in 1954, reagan accepted a job as host of the new television drama "the general electric theater." in addition to his tv appearances, he toured the country as the company's corporate ambassador, visiting ge plants and talking to employees. again, the intense travel schedule kept the newlyweds apart. >> march 7th, 1955. dear nancy, going wrong way but still it is one day nearer. i love you, ronnie. >> in 1957, they costarred in their only film together, "hellcats of the navy." >> i can began to think maybe y were playing the south seas circuit. >> you knew better. >> how could i know? did you give me a post-dated

check? >> dar looigliling, as us old s, welcome aboard. my goodness are you welcome. i love you. >> holidays were always marked with a special letter or card like this one. he started calling nancy mommy after their daughter patty was born. >> february 14th, 1960. darling mommy-poo. february 14th may be the date they observe and call valentine's day but that is for people of only ordinary luck. i happen to have a valentine's life which started on march 4th, 1952, and will continue as long as i have you. i love you very much. poppa. march 4th, 1963. my darling, this is really just an in-between day. it is a day on which i love you 365 days more than i did a year

ago and 365 less than i will a year from now. all my love, your husband. >> much of their time together was spent at the ranch outside santa barbara. ronald reagan was a huge fan of horses and his wife quickly developed the same affection. half a century later, the 40th president of the united states, in failing health, but his nancy still by his side. this new book, his love letters to her, hand-picked by her. her love letter back to him. her love still so strong it's too hard for her to read them in front of anyone else, but that 1981 letter, the one he wrote her on their 29th anniversary just after they'd moved into the white house that one was special. the only one she can bring herself to read. >> nancy davis then went on to bring him happiness for the next 29 years as nancy davis reagan,

for which she has received and will continue to receive his undying devotion forever and ever. she's done this in spite of the fact that he still can't find the words to hell her how lost he would be without her. he sits in the overly office from which he can see, if he scoohes down, her window, and feels warm all over just knowing she is there. the above is the statement of a man who benefitted from her act of heroism. below is his signature, ronald reagan, president of the united states. p.s., he, i mean i, love and adore you. >> nancy and ronald reagan were a true political power couple, bound by a romance that played out on a public stage and held them together during trying times. her devotion helped him transform from actor to president. and her memories of his love

helped her survive his long good-bye. what endures are the contributions they both made and a great love story. i'm lester holt. thanks for joining us.

>> ronnie wrote beautiful letters. >> what do you say about someone who gives your life meaning? >> dear first lady, you have made one man, me, the most happy man in the world. >> same girl i married. and i'm a very lucky fellow. >> "love story: the reagan letters." here's katie couric. >> hello, everyone. what made ronald reagan special? his optimism, confidence, love of country? to nancy reagan, his wife and constant companion for more than half a century, what made ronald reagan special was his devotion and their boundless love for each other. romance may not