Contains Opinion of the Writer

One year ago today, we lost an American Icon.

Love him or hate him, Rush Limbaugh will always be remembered as a great American Patriot. I had the privilege of listening to Rush when I was working at Blue Shield in Woodland, California back in the mid-1980s.

My husband had first found him on a Sacramento AM radio station when he was hauling produce. In those days, you only had AM or FM radio to fill your days. My husband said he was waiting to get loaded when he found Rush talking about how President Reagan had ordered a series of limited airstrikes against Libya. That evening, he had come home from work and told me about a new talk radio show with a firebrand host. This was the beginning of our long relationship with Rush Limbaugh, the man behind the EIB microphone.

I must confess that I was hooked from day one. I would sit at my work station, with my little AM radio and earbuds, processing Third-Party Liability claims and soaking up each and every word Rush had to say during that show.

Talent on Loan from God: Rush was a genius at sharing his thoughts with the spoken word. He could make you think about important subjects in a whole new light while entertaining you with his quick wit. Growing up in a military home, I had always been patriotic and leaned right. However, Rush taught me what that meant, and how it came with important responsibilities. Listening to his shows I had come to understand that I must always stand firm against those who try to label me as a hater because of my conservative views. I have held true to that belief to this very day.

It came as no surprise when Rush announced that he was moving to New York. He was a bright shining star, and Sacramento wasn’t big enough to hold him. Rush had moved on to become a national treasure. As his syndicated show grew to millions of loyal fans, I must admit that I would smile because I had followed him from the beginning on that AM radio station in Sacramento.

Much of Rush Limbaugh’s national legacy can be attributed to his time in Sacramento. “For those of you in Rio Linda,” as he’d often say, Limbaugh, leaves a lasting legacy. He would call out and name-drop the town in his broadcasts, putting it on the map. Some people took it as an insult, but much more loved it and considered it a badge of honor when Rush went national and was carried by about 600 radio stations.

One thing I respected most about Rush was he was no quitter. He beat painkiller addiction, and then went on to do his daily shows after losing 100 percent of his hearing in one ear and 80 percent in the other in 2001. The day he made the announcement on his show, I wondered how could he possibly continue with his show. You can read the script for that show here.

However, Rush didn’t miss a step. He powered on with his shows in pure Rush Limbaugh fashion.

Then the unthinkable happened, Rush announced to his stunned 20 million fans that he had advanced lung cancer.

Even facing death, Rush did his best to spend time with his 20 million listeners. He showed strength and faith in God as he struggled through his treatments. Not once do I remember him complaining or feeling sorry for himself. Rush was a pillar of strength through a difficult time.

I will never forget the night when President Trump awarded Rush the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Rush had no idea why he was called to the State of the Union Address. I will never forget the expression on his face when our beautiful First Lady placed the medal around his neck. It was one of pure humility.

Then his expression changed to one of pure joy.

I don’t know about you, but my eyes were filled with tears. Since he first came on the scene all those years ago, Rush Limbaugh had been a General in the war against the leftist ideology. He was a conservative warrior for FREEDOM from globalist authoritarian rule.

Like I said at the beginning of this post: Love him or hate him, Rush Limbaugh will always be remembered as a great American Patriot.