From Reuters:
“Biden honors fallen soldiers
during Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery”
U.S. President Joe Biden honored
fallen soldiers during the 156th observance of Memorial Day at Arlington
National Cemetery outside the nation's capital on Monday. Biden placed a wreath
of flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in a solemn ceremony, where he
was accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd
Austin. "We gather at this sacred place, at this solemn moment, to
remember, to honor the sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of women and men
who have given their lives for this nation," Biden said afterward at the
cemetery's amphitheater. Earlier in the day, Biden hosted a White House
breakfast in honor of Memorial Day that included administration officials,
military leadership, veterans and so-called Gold Star family members, referring
to those who have lost an immediate relative in military action. The Memorial
Day ceremony is the latest in a string of events where Biden has focused on
active and retired military personnel, including delivering the commencement
speech on Saturday at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.
Next week, the president will
travel to Normandy, France, to participate in ceremonies marking the 80th
anniversary of the D-Day invasion. He is expected to give a major speech about
the heroism of Allied forces in World War Two and the continuing threats to
democracy today. Thursday will mark the ninth anniversary of the death of
Biden's son Beau, who served in Iraq as part of Delaware's National Guard. Beau
died from glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer that his
father believes was possibly a consequence of exposure to military burn pits in
Iraq. "This week marks nine years since I lost my son, Beau," Biden
said. "Our losses are not the same. He didn't perish on the battlefield.
He was a cancer victim. "The pain of his loss is with me every day ... so
is the pride in his service," the president said.
On Memorial Day, each grave site
at Arlington will have a small American flag carefully positioned exactly one
boot’s length away from the headstone. The flags were placed by 1,500 soldiers
from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, better known as The Old Guard. The
regiment has carried out the tradition, known as “Flags In,” just before
Memorial Day every year since 1948, when it was designated as the Army’s
official ceremonial unit.
^ No matter what your Politics it
is always good to see the US President honor the Men and Women of the US Military.
^
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