Reagan Birthday Celebration and Book Signing

Friday, February 4th, 2011 | Book Signing, Books, Radio

Fort Des Moines is hosting a special celebration this Sunday at 2 p.m. in honor of Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday, and Mike Chapman has been invited to participate and hold a book signing. While working at WHO Radio in Des Moines, young Ron Reagan earned his commission at Fort Des Moines as a Second Lieutenant in 1937. Featured films include “Rear Gunner”, “For God and Country”, and “Jap Zero”. There will be birthday cake and jelly beans! Tickets are $5 per person and are available at the door.

Mike is the author of 22 books, one of them an historical novel about Ronald Reagan as a lifeguard in the summer of 1932. The book, entitled Lowell Park, tells of a young Iowa graduate student, Jenny Brix, who gets a chance to travel back in time and meet Mr. Reagan when he was known as “Dutch.” However, the time machine malfunctions and Jenny goes to the same very same location in 1832 — where a young Abe Lincoln is serving in the Black Hawk War. Jenny eventually winds up in 1932 and falls for Dutch, and then the trouble begins!

Lowell Park has been purchased by a major motion company and is set to begin filming in Dixon, Illinois — Mr. Reagan’s hometown — in late spring. The director is Chares Robert Carner, who has directed and/or written nearly a dozen films. It is a “Field of Dreams”, family-oriented story.

Mike will have copies of Lowell Park for sale at the Ronald Reagan birthday celebration. The book features a photo of Dutch on the cover in his lifeguard suit and are $10 each. He is donating 50 percent of the proceeds to the museum.

Mike lived in Dixon, Illinois, for ten years and was executive editor of the daily newspaper there. He met President Reagan in 1990, during the President’s last visit to his hometown. Mike lived one mile from Lowell Park, which is a beautiful, 350-acre preserve.

Mike retired from 35-year journalism career in 2002 and lives in Newton. He was on the Fox and Friends national TV show live the week Mr. Reagan died and on half a dozen national radio shows talking about Lowell Park.

Tags: Fort Des Moines, Lowell Park, Ronald Reagan, WHO Radio

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