Time flies. On June 12, 1987, President Reagan was in Berlin and gave another memorable speech. We remember it as President Reagan's call for the USSR to tear down the Berlin Wall.

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According to Peter Robinson, a speechwriter, the "line" was discussed and argued about in the State Department. Some of President Reagan's advisers thought that the line might be seen as provocative by the Kremlin. This is what happened:

Top administration officials said the speech was all wrong. Too provocative, said the National Security Council. Too tough, said the State Department.

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The president overruled his advisers and, as he rode through the streets of West Berlin on June 12, 1987, he told an aide that his speech at the Brandenburg Gate was simply “the right thing to do.”

Addressing a crowd of thousands as he stood before the Berlin Wall -- the world’s most notorious symbol of Soviet tyranny -- President Reagan declared: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

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For full context, President Reagan related the story of the two cities, one under Soviet domination and the other under Western values. He compared the two and challenged Mr. Gorbachev to change:

And now the Soviets themselves may, in a limited way, be coming to understand the importance of freedom. We hear much from Moscow about a new policy of reform and openness. Some political prisoners have been released. Certain foreign news broadcasts are no longer being jammed. Some economic enterprises have been permitted to operate with greater freedom from state control. Are these the beginnings of profound changes in the Soviet state? Or are they token gestures, intended to raise false hopes in the West, or to strengthen the Soviet system without changing it? We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace.

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There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

Let's remember that there was talk of reform coming out of the old USSR. They called it "perestroika," and it was supposed to be a sign that the winds of change were blowing on the other side.

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President Reagan said it anyway, rejecting the fears of his advisors that it might be too provocative and counterproductive. Two years later, the Soviet bloc collapsed, and Mr. Gorbachev didn't have to tear down his wall because the people did it for him.

What a great moment it was.

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Did President Reagan see the future? We will never know, but he definitely knew the USSR and the Berlin Wall were doomed to fail.

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Image: National Archives