Today is both a solemn occasion and a time to celebrate. It is solemn because we commemorate those who died in the line of duty, who died in service to their country. It is solemn because of the incalculable sorrow visited upon family and friends who survived these losses, and who endure them still.

It is a solemn occasion because, as Abraham Lincoln said, we remember those who gave their lives "so that our nation might live." Live, as best we can, shielded from the violence and devastation of narcotics trafficking, from threats against our nation's leaders, and from terrorist threats against the public at large.

The members of the Customs Service we honor today engaged in all of these missions and more. More often than not, they did their jobs quietly, in a day-to-day struggle to keep America safe. There was always an element of danger in what they did, however.

Some were killed accidentally in carrying out their duties. Others were killed by smugglers, by narcotics traffickers, and by other desperate criminals. Sometimes it seems true what they say: that only the good die young.

Having said that, we are reminded that this is a celebration too. We are celebrating the lives whose names are etched on this beautiful memorial which, fittingly, was designed by a member of the Customs family, our own Director of Planning, William Riley.

The lives we're celebrating were full of enthusiasm for their families, for their friends, and for unstinting service to their country. These were the people who counted and who could be counted on. These were the ones who were engaged in life. The ones who would come to the aid of a stranger, who would defend the weak against the strong, who would fight for what was right, who believed good should prevail over evil, and who worked to make it so. This is what drew so many of them to law enforcement in the first place. A sister of one of those we honor said something that could apply to all of our fallen comrades: we all felt safer just knowing he was among us.

Today, the United States Customs Service unveils our new Valor Memorial in memory of all of these outstanding individuals. It includes the names of a grandfather and grandson killed in the line of duty, generations apart. It reaches back two centuries to remind us that members of the Customs Service have made the ultimate sacrifice from early in our history to the present day.

The new memorial replaces an older one that has been retired…retired but not forgotten. The older monument will be archived, and the families of those listed on its marble face will receive mementos of the shrine, including rubbings of their loved ones' names and a watercolor picture of the memorial.

Many of you saw the old memorial every day here in the Customs main entrance on your way to work. It included the names of forty-nine members of the Customs Service who died in the line of duty. Last year, we decided to expand the criteria for adding names to our memorial, to include those not only lost at the hands of an assailant, but those who died as the direct result of an action carried out in the line of duty. In truth, a law enforcement officer is always on duty, and the constant vigilance and instinct to protect that guides his or her daily work is demonstrated not only in the greatest struggles but in the routine responses to a crisis as well.

After thorough and delicate research, we determined twenty more members of the Service who were eligible to be listed on the new memorial. And should our ongoing research into Customs' 211-year history reveal others who qualify, we've designed the memorial so that those additional names can easily be added.

The new Valor Memorial is much bigger, however, not because of the addition of names, but so that it can be more easily viewed and appreciated by the public. Frankly, we made the memorial bigger so that it cannot be missed, so that everyone who enters the headquarters of the United States Customs Service knows exactly how high a price has been paid for service to country.

The memorial serves two other important purposes. We know that the deaths of those who served have exacted a heavy burden of grief on their families. But as time dulls some of that grief, we trust that this memorial will stand as a bright beacon of pride; that the children and grandchildren and other relatives and friends will return on trips to Washington, not just to see the Capitol or the Lincoln Memorial or the White House, but to return here, to this place, and point out with pride:

Here is my father's name...

Here is my son's...

Here is my brother's name...

Here is my husband's name.

This memorial means they are all remembered and recognized here, as they should be, in the nation's capital, forever. Finally, this memorial serves as a reminder for all of us who have the privilege of serving our country. For those of us who enter Headquarters every day, the memorial reminds us that we have work to do. As Lincoln said, it is "for us the living...to be dedicated to the unfinished work which they have thus far so nobly advanced," and, "that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain."

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my great honor to unveil the new Customs Valor Memorial...