Dear Members and Friends,

“The Kauai Veteran’s Eternal Memorial and Missile Defense Viewing Site is our way to memorialize those that gave the ultimate sacrifice to our nation for freedom.”

“For those that give the sacrifices today and those that will give the sacrifices tomorrow for our nation to be free.”

“More than that it is for the family, the military family, the husbands, the wives, the sons, the daughters, the moms and the dads that have sacrificed.”

“It is also for the community here in Kauai, young and old who are also part of the extended family and will be inspired by the sacrifices and the missile defense technology displayed here that will lessen those sacrifices today and in the future.”

“The Memorial is a place to be present in the Garden Island of Kauai with its soaring cliffs, rhythmic ocean surf, and the emerald green abundance of life.”

“It is a site for refuge for sheltering the present preserving the past and safekeeping the future.”

“It is a site of replenishment, a source of cleansing with water cascading, calming, cooling.”

“It is a site of offering, purifying and honoring our warriors as the water flows over the Pohaku.”

“The Pohaku is a testament of time and has weathered the storms of generations, to stand before you solid, with spirit that will remain here throughout time to lean on, touch, reflect and heal; a cornerstone to build our human spirit to endure.”

“The view outward above over the Pohaku and above the mangroves in the distance will witness the future as systems and technologies being developed and tested here will protect and defend without loss of any life, all the Hawaii Islands and in the near future Europe, the Middle East and Far East.”

“And this technology developed here in Kauai will reduce and prevent those sacred sacrifices that we honor with this memorial and viewing site making our world a safer place.”

“Mahalo”

Yesterday, June 1st, 2010, in Barking Sands, Kauai, Senator Daniel Inouye, Commanding Officer, Pacific Missile Range Facility Captain Aaron Cudnohufsky, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Rear Admiral Dixon Smith and I opened the Kauai Eternal Veterans Memorial and Missile Defense Viewing Site.

These are excerpts from my speech to the distinguished guests and community of Kauai and Hawaii.

Note – This is MDAA’s second memorial, the first being the Ronald Reagan Missile Defense Memorial at Vandenberg AFB dedicated May 14, 2006.