Seventy-six years ago today, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States took place here in Honolulu, Hawaii that began a war that cost over 110,000 American lives and over two million Japanese lives, that lasted four years across the Pacific. Over 2,400 Americans died 76 years ago today because Hawaii was not prepared and defended with the best readiness it should have been to prevent the massive loss of American lives and destruction upon Hawaii that began a war. American diplomacy failed and American deterrence failed. The lives lost and the lessons learned should never be forgotten and forever etched in the leadership of America.

We are in Hawaii today with our mission and our advocacy to have the best missile defense possible for Hawaii to deter and be prepared to defend against America’s greatest threat today, a surprise nuclear ballistic missile attack from North Korea.

Hawaii to be best defended from North Korea needs a permanent land-based medium- to long-range discrimination radar, an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) tested and proven intercept by the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA interceptor and engage/launch on remote Aegis Baseline-9 and future Baseline-10 Aegis BMD destroyers based in Hawaii or the Aegis Ashore site in Kauai – all with SM-3 Block IIA interceptors. Until then, Hawaii would need an emergency contingency plan to bring forward a AN/TPY-2 Radar, SM-3 Block 1B interceptors, Aegis Baseline-9 destroyer or Aegis Ashore Site operational.