SAN DIEGO, California July 23 (AFP) - Former US first lady Nancy Reagan emerged from mourning Friday for the first time since Ronald Reagan's death last month to welcome home a US navy aircraft carrier bearing his name.
The white-clad Nancy Reagan, last seen publicly as she wept over her husband's coffin at his sunset burial service on June 11, appeared frail but smiled broadly as she greeted sailors and officials.
The 83-year-old was flown onto the United States' newest aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, by helicopter to be greeted by US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and thousands of sailors.
The ship arrived in its new home port of San Diego for the first time Friday after a long journey around the tip of South America, during which voyage ex-president Reagan died in Los Angeles on June 5 at the age of 93.
"Although the last six weeks have been difficult and today is very bitter-sweet, I am so honoured to be here as the USS Ronald Reagan comes into home port for the first time," the white-clad Nancy Reagan told the applause and cheers of thousands of naval personnel aboard the ship.
"Ronnie would have loved the sight of this great ship coming into his beloved California. I know how proud he was to have this ship named after him. In my heart, I know he's looking down on us and smiling," she said.
The Nimitz-class carrier was named for the former president, who died of pneumonia after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer's disease, and christened by Nancy Reagan in 2001.
The former movie actress shook hands with dozens of sailors before going below decks to visit the Ronald Reagan Room on the 334-meter (1,096-foot) nuclear-powered ship as it sailed into San Diego's Naval Air Station.
She was accompanied by Michael Reagan, the late president's son by his first wife Jane Wyman.
The US flag that was flying on the carrier at the hour that Reagan died was the same one that draped his casket as it was publicly displayed in Washington and Los Angeles during nearly a week of national mourning following his death.
The vessel's captain, James Symonds, attended Reagan's sunset burial at his Los Angeles-area presidential library and handed Nancy Reagan the crisply-folded flag before the former leader was interred.
The USS Ronald Reagan sailed from Norfolk Virginia in May and travelled more than 29,000 kilometers (18,000 miles) around Cape Horn, at the southern tip of South America, conducting training and air engagement exercises with Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru.