He was great not only for how he changed the nation and even the world for the better, but also for how many individuals were changed for the better as well.

The year was 1987 and I was a sophomore in high school in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere.  Somehow I happened to watch an episode of Firing Line and was introduced to the world of WFB.  The school library had been stocked in the ‘70’s and included Inveighing We Will Go.  From that I became aware of National Review.  With neither the school nor the town library subscribing to it how was one to even find the address, in that pre-internet age, of the subscription office?  I sent a stamped envelope, with a note asking for a subscription card for National Review, to the address given for transcripts at the end of each Firing Line and hoped for the best.   There was no reason to suspect that whoever mailed out transcripts had anything to do with National Review, but some kind soul sent back a precious business reply card.   After mowing the neighbor’s yard several times for some money, the card was put to good use.        

That was more than half a life time ago, and how blessed I was to have chanced upon WFB.  It was only a week ago that I finished reading Nearer, My God for the first time.   No doubt he is now more than near. 
David Lewis