Dear Members and Friends,

“Welcome to a Spectacular Day and a historic memorial to President Ronald Reagan and Missile Defense.

The Memorial is as vast and limitless as President Reagan’s vision and hope for the Human Spirit and our ability to ensure it and defend it.

It is appropriate that this memorial views the vast horizon and international borders of our nation.

It is appropriate that this memorial over-looks the Ronald Reagan Missile Defense Site made up of 4 silos containing 3 ground based interceptors that are protecting our entire nation today from ballistic missiles.

It is appropriate that this memorial faces the majestic view of our nation and the shining sea where dreams are made.

It is fitting that this location and the design of this historic memorial be named after President Ronald Reagan and his vision for Missile Defense.

This vista and monument is more than a testament to President Reagan, it is a Legacy. It is a Legacy to our generation.

It is a Legacy that must go beyond what is in place today so that someday in the future we may see a day where missile defense has made ballistic missiles obsolete as delivery means of weapons of mass destruction.

25 years ago, the man we are honoring today asked whether we as a nation wanted a future that relied solely on Offensive Retaliation for our Security. He believed that the human spirit must be capable of rising above dealing with other nations and human beings by threatening their existence. He then challenged our military, our technology leaders and industrial base to find the way to defeat ballistic missiles.

Yes the human spirit is capable of rising above and today 25 years later we celebrate that rise and the reality of the vision of Ronald Reagan.”

— Delivered by Riki Ellison at Ronald Reagan Missile Defense Site at Vandenberg Airforce Base, California on March 27, 2008.

MDAA was honored to contribute, support and particpate in the Ronald Reagan Missile Defense Memorial as it offically opened yesterday at the Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, celebrating the 25th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan’s vison of Missile Defense.