OBXtek receives 2023 Daniel K. Inouye Leadership and Community Service Award
McLean, VA, September 13, 2023 – OBXtek Inc. and Ed Jesson, OBXtek Founder and Chairman of the Board were presented with the “2023 Daniel K. Inouye Leadership and Community Service Award” from the Governor of Hawaii, Josh Green. The award recognizes Mr. Jesson and OBXtek’s support of the Na Koa Wounded Warrior Hawaiian Canoe Regatta.
Ed Jesson and OBXtek have been a sponsor of the Regatta since its founding in 2009. The Na Koa Regatta honors our fallen and wounded warriors and their families with a competitive environment that builds teamwork and esprit de corps among all participants. The Regatta was first created to assist recovering troops through the healing power of the Hawaiian waters, and now has grown to include Gold Star families and a Youth Division.
“We’re proud to support the Na Koa Regatta, it is such a great event and has grown to be one of the major sporting events in Hawaii,” said Ed Jesson. “The organization does incredible work in supporting veterans and their families.”
The Daniel K. Inouye Leadership and Community Service Award is a prestigious award, and the award is named after a national hero. During World War II, Daniel K. Inouye served in the U.S. Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Composed of soldiers of Japanese ancestry, the 442nd became one of the most decorated military units in U.S. history. For his combat heroism, which cost him his right arm, Inouye was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart with Cluster. When Hawaii became the 50th state, Inouye became one of its first representatives in the U.S. Congress. In 1962 he won election to the U.S. Senate. In 2013, Senator Inouye was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, becoming the first—and to date, only—senator to receive both the Medal of Freedom and the Medal of Honor.
In 2018, Mr. Jesson and his wife, Juliet, received the Ho’Omaika’l Award at the Na Koa Wounded Warrior Regatta reception. The Ho’Omaika’l Award recognizes individuals who go above and beyond the call to serve; those who dedicate themselves to honoring and supporting wounded warriors, their loved ones, and Gold Star families.
