 We are here to pause and take a few minutes to remember the lives of those involved in the construction of the Soto Dam. The dam was completed in 1944. Those that were there and survived remembered. Several kept secret diaries at great risk to themselves noting the names that died. 53 Americans and 14 Japanese workers perished before it was completed and this monument was established and dedicated to those who perished during the building of the Soto Dam. Today's small ceremony is in honor of our fallen comrades. From the ashes of war a strong bond and commitment to peace was forged and we are now two nations allied in the pursuit of that peace and that is one of the things we should remember today.