Joe Cunningham: “General Cardenas is one of the few individuals that can tree a person with a smile. There is not a day goes by that I do…”

“General Cardenas is one of the few individuals that can tree a person with a smile. There is not a day goes by that I do not get a call from General Cardenas, and he says, ``Duke, what have you and Duncan done for the veterans today?'' I would be happy to announce also that he was very instrumental in San Diego. Widows and sometimes widowers have to drive clear up to Riverside, a 3 rac{1}{2} ext{ hour drive, to visit the grave sites of their loved ones that they lost in different wars, the veterans. General Cardenas held some of the first meetings. We looked, we worked in a bipartisan way and ended up finding a spot at the former naval air station, Miramar, which now is MAS Miramar by the Marine Corps; and we found some 300 acres that will be a satellite for Fort Rosecrons that will provide over 200 grave sites. General Cardenas was instrumental and he was a driving force that pressed us and Tony Principi, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to come up with this site; and he also was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor, and as the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) mentioned, has done hundreds of things in the field of aerospace itself.”