By Jarrett Renshaw
ARLINGTON, Va. (Reuters) – U.S. president Joe Biden honored fallen soldiers during the 156th Memorial Day celebration at Arlington National Cemetery outside the nation’s capital on Monday.
Biden placed a floral wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during a solemn ceremony, where he was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of Defense. Lloyd Austin.
“We gather in this solemn moment in this sacred place to remember and honor the sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of women and men who gave their lives for this nation,” Biden said afterward in the cemetery amphitheater.
Earlier in the day, Biden hosted a breakfast at the White House in honor of Memorial Day that included government officials, military leaders, veterans and so-called Gold Star family members, referring to those who have lost an immediate family member in military action.
The Memorial Day ceremony is the latest in a series of events where Biden has focused on active and retired military personnel, including delivering the commencement address on Saturday at the U.S. Military Academy at 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 deliver a major speech on the heroism of the Allied forces in World War II and the ongoing threats to today’s democracy.
Thursday marks the nine-year anniversary of the death of Biden’s son Beau, who served in Iraq as part of the Delaware National Guard. Beau died of glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer that his father believes may have resulted from exposure to military burns in Iraq.
“This week marks nine years since I lost my son Beau,” Biden said. “Our losses are not the same. He did not die on the battlefield. He was a victim of cancer.
“I carry the pain of his loss with me every day, as well as the pride in his service,” the president said.
On Memorial Day, each grave site in Arlington will display a small American flag, carefully placed exactly one boot’s length away from the headstone. The flags were placed by 1,500 soldiers from the army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard. The regiment has performed the tradition, known as “Flags In,” annually just before Memorial Day since 1948, when it was designated as the Army’s official ceremonial unit.
(Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Mark Porter)
