Honolulu, Hawaii—Against the dramatic backdrop of Pearl Harbor with the USS Arizona Memorial and USS Missouri Memorial, guests gathered on Friday, June 28 to honor the contributions of military families to the nation’s defense and to celebrate the experiences offered to those families through the Blue Star Museums program. Photos are available. The Second Lady of the United States Mrs. Karen Pence was the featured speaker, along with National Endowment for the Arts Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter, Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet and others. Guests included military families and representatives of Blue Star Museums in Honolulu. Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America. Each summer, more than 2,000 participating museums offer free admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel and their families as a way to thank them for their service and share with them the nation’s cultural treasures. The event began with a tour of the memorial’s exhibitions lead by a National Park Service ranger. Attendees then gathered at the Circle of Remembrance along the water’s edge to hear from the speakers. Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families and a military spouse noted that, “All the things that America stands for, all the things we value, the culture, the things we collect. Those are in museums and that’s what we fight for.” National Endowment for the Arts Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter said of Blue Star Museums, “Blue Star Museums can provide a few hours of calm and beauty for those coping with the stress and anxiety of deployment. And most of all, this program gives families a chance to simply spend time together and create memories that they can carry with them through the challenges of military life.” Finally, Mrs. Pence said, "We understand the respect and care that’s so deserving of our military service members and their families and while we can never fully repay the debt of gratitude that we owe you, know that you will forever hold a special place in our hearts. And that’s why I jumped at the opportunity to join First Lady Melania Trump and serve as honorary co-chair of Blue Star Museums last year and I am more than happy to serve again this year." In addition to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, Blue Star Museums in Hawaii are Hawaii State Art Museum, Honolulu Museum of Art, Lyman Museum, Lyon Arboretum/University of Hawaii Manoa, and the African American Diversity Cultural Center Hawaii. For more information on Blue Star Museums, go to arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. About the National Endowment for the Arts Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more.