THE DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE: ITS HEROES HONORED, THE CASE FOR PRESERVING IT LAID OUT IN CALIFORNIA

(Santa Monica, California): On the evening of Friday,
30 September a remarkable event occurred at the Museum
of Flying at the Santa Monica Airport: In the
presence of hundreds of distinguished guests, heroes of
the defense industry — past and present — were honored
for their immense contribution to the national interest.
Among those recognized for their pioneering work in
creating the American aerospace industry were: Robert
Anderson of Rockwell International; Roy
Anderson of Lockheed Corporation; Lee
Atwood of North American Aviation; Donald
Douglas, Jr. of McDonnell Douglas Corporation; Wayne
Hoffman of Flying Tiger Airlines; Tom
Jones of Northrop Corporation; Alan
Puckett of Hughes Aircraft; Simon Ramo
of TRW, Inc; and Harry Wetzel of Garrett
Corporation.

A special tribute was paid by a valued and long-time
member of the Center for Security Policy’s Board of
Advisors, California Governor Pete Wilson,
to the one of the contemporary leaders of that
industry: Northrop Grumman CEO Kent Kresa.
Governor Wilson, who was represented at the event by his
wife, Gayle, recognized the enormously
important role Northrop has been playing under Mr.
Kresa’s leadership in maintaining and expanding the
United States’ competitive edge — in both the
military and civilian sectors — with its work on the B-2
“Stealth” bomber and other defense programs.

The evening was by no means entirely retrospective in
nature, however. In many ways, its high-point came in
forward-looking remarks by former Secretary of Defense Caspar
W. Weinberger — who played a pivotal role in
his own right in rebuilding America’s military might and
defense industrial capabilities during the 1980s.
Secretary Weinberger, recipient of the Center for
Security Policy’s first “Keeper of the Flame
Award” in 1990, addressed a number of contemporary
national security problems from Haiti to Bosnia to the
urgent need for defenses against missile attack. He
expressed particular concern at the increased reliance
being placed by the Clinton Administration on a man whose
shortcomings did much to contribute to the last, serious
gutting of the U.S. national security posture, Jimmy
Carter.

Secretary Weinberger’s brief, but brilliant, tour of
the strategic horizon impressed upon all those present
the grave threats to U.S. national security and interests
that abide despite the end of the Cold War. With
characteristic eloquence, he underscored the importance
of maintaining far more capable defenses and a supporting
industrial base that is far more robust than the Clinton
Administration has in mind.

A moving testimonial to Secretary Weinberger’s past
and continuing contributions to his country was offered
by President Reagan’s National Security Advisor William
P. Clark. This well-deserved praise was all the
more estimable because of the central part Judge Clark
himself played in the Reagan Administration’s policy of
“peace through strength” and the contribution
that policy made not only to containing but also to
defeating the Soviet Union and international
communism.

The Center for Security Policy, whose ongoing work in
many of these areas was also generously recognized by
Judge Clark in his remarks, was proud to participate in
such an important event and extends its heartfelt
congratulations to the Museum’s leadership and all its
honorees, speakers and friends.