United States – U.S. President Joe Biden spoke about soldiers who have died in service of their country during the 156th Memorial Day service at the Nation’s capital, Arlington National Cemetery, on Monday.
This was done during the laying of the wreath of flowers at the Tomb of those Unknown Soldier, which was done in the presence of the country’s Vice President, Kamala Harris, and the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, as reported by Reuters.
“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.
Presidential Breakfast and Commencement Speech
Biden himself held a White House breakfast prior to that in respect of Memorial Day that included people from his administration, military brass, several veterans, and those referred to as “Gold Star families,” which means families who lost an immediate relative in action.
It is the latest of many jobs that Biden has selected to speak for serving and ex-servicemen. The others are the commencement speech on Saturday at the US Military Academy in West Point New York.
Remembering Beau Biden and Recognizing Sacrifice
A week from now, yet again, the president will be in Normandy, France to celebrate the eightieth year of the D-Day. He is expected to deliver a monumental on how the allies stood their ground in World War Two, and on how democracy is endangered today.
Thursday will be the ninth year since the death of Biden’s son Beau, who was serving in Iraq as a member of Delaware’s National Guard. Beau died from glioblastoma, which is a highly aggressive form of cancer that is likely happened due to working on the burn pits in Iraq that were used for disposing of military waste.
“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, as reported by Reuters.
“The pain of his loss is with me every day … so is the pride in his service,” the president said.
Honoring Tradition at Arlington National Cemetery
On Memorial Day, which is a national holiday observed every last Monday of May every year, every grave in the Arlington National Cemetery will have an American flag placed at a specific distance of one boot’s length from the headstone. Both were planted by 1,500 soldiers from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, better known as The Old Guard. The regiment has performed the known tradition “Flags In” annually ahead of Memorial Day since the year 1948, the year when it was recognized as the official ceremonial unit of the Army.