Biden appeared to pay the chill no mind, remaining for the entirety of the 75-minute ceremony and mouthing the words to the closing rendition of “God Bless America.” When it was time, he snapped a salute to the wreath laid at the memorial.īiden had attended the ceremony nearly every year for decades, and it was at last year’s event when he emerged for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, spotted with a mask while laying a wreath. Though a tent was overhead, the cold wind whipped the rain onto the guests as they watched a lone military trumpeter play taps at a memorial to Delaware’s fallen troops. “Despite all the pain, I know the pride you feel in the loved one you have lost.” “They’re the guardians of us and we’re the guardians of their legacy,” Biden said of those who served in the armed forces. “I can’t thank you enough for the continued service for the country,” said Biden, addressing a crowd of Gold Star military families and other veterans in a ceremony at War Memorial Plaza in the shadow of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The Memorial Day weekend, long an important moment for Biden, took on added poignancy this year as the president spoke frequently and emotionally of his own loss while expressing the gratitude of a nation for the sacrifices of others. The death of his son from brain cancer at age 46 is ever-present for the elder Biden, with the loss defining so much of his worldview, dotting his speeches and stirring his empathy for others in pain. President Joe Biden marked his first Memorial Day weekend as commander in chief by honoring the nation’s sacrifices in a deeply personal manner as he paid tribute Sunday to those lost while remembering his late son Beau, a veteran who died six years ago to the day.Īs a cold rain fell, Biden made his annual appearance at the commemoration in New Castle, not far from his Wilmington home, a day before he planned to do the same at Arlington National Cemetery on the official observance. Last year, Biden, then a presidential candidate, chose Memorial Day to make his first public appearance in the two months after the coronavirus pandemic closed down the nation. Earlier in the day, he and other family members attended a memorial Mass for his son Beau Biden, a veteran who died of brain cancer six years ago to the day. On Sunday, Biden addressed a crowd of Gold Star military families and other veterans in a ceremony at War Memorial Plaza in New Castle, Delaware. Bush observes a moment of silence during a Memorial Day service President Joe Biden adjusts a the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, 2021, in Arlington, Va. “All those we honor today gave their lives for the country, but they live forever in our hearts," he said. Later, he delivered a Memorial Day address and called on Americans to honor their fallen heroes by remembering their sacrifices. service members whose remains have not been identified.Īfter approaching the wreath, Biden bowed his head before the wreath and made the sign of the cross. The president was joined on Monday by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff in a somber ceremony at the Virginia cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is dedicated to the fallen U.S. (AP) - President Joe Biden honored America’s war dead at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day by laying a wreath at the hallowed burial ground. take a minute of silence to remember all of the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice.Memorial Day Chicago Illuminated sign on Chicago's Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower However your family chooses to spend the freedoms of Memorial Day, at 3 p.m. Instead of wishing someone a “Happy” Memorial Day- taking flowers to the cemetery, planting a tree or garden or participating in a favorite activity to remember them by are more appropriate ways to memorialize them.Īlthough the exact number of fallen heroes remains unknown, over one million American lives have been given for those living in the United States so that they might live without fear or torment for personal beliefs. Unlike Veteran’s Day, the loved one isn’t there to be celebrated and their life was cut short by war. (their local time) for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.Īs with any passing of a loved one, death can be difficult to deal with. It also encourages Americans to pause on Memorial Day, wherever they are at 3 p.m. The act is meant to encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them freedom and opportunity. In 2000, to ensure the sacrifices of America’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, Congress signed the “National Moment of Remembrance Act,” creating the National Moment of Remembrance.
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