PHOTOSPresident Joe Biden Honors Veterans As The 'Spine Of America' In Ceremony At Arlington National Cemetery: Photos
Honoring our troops!
President Joe Biden participated in a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Thursday, November 11 — the first Veterans Day in nearly two decades the U.S. has not been actively at war.
In a speech, the 46th president said veterans have “endured challenges most Americans will never know” and assured the audience he will work with Congress to make sure military members receive the “world-class benefits that they have earned.”
“You've come through the trials and testing, braved dangers and deprivations, faced down tragic realities of war and death. You've done it for us. You've done it for America. To defend and serve American values. To protect our country and our Constitution against all enemies,” he continued. “And to lay a stronger, more secure foundation on which future generations can continue to build a more perfect union.”
“On Veterans Day, we have to always remember there’s nothing low risk or low cost about war,” the 78-year-old politician told the crowd. “Our veterans represent the best of America. You are the very spine of America. All of us owe you.”
Barack Obama’s former vice president also recalled the experience of his late son, Beau Biden, deploying to Iraq, saying, “for me and for Jill [Biden] and for the entire Biden family, it's personal.”
“Jill and I learned what it meant to pray every day for the safe return of someone you love. So many of you have done that,” he added. “Our grandkids learned what it meant to have their dad overseas in a war zone instead of back at home for a year, tucking them into bed reading that story every night. Thousands of Americans, tens of thousands, have had that experience.”
Thursday marked 100 years since the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was first honored at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Scroll through to see photos of President Joe Biden honoring veterans at Arlington Cemetery.
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Vice President Kamala Harris is currently traveling in France and missed out on the ceremony.
Biden paid his respects to veterans on Thursday, November 11.
Biden also met with veterans and members of the military community privately before the ceremony.
The first ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider was officiated by President Warren G. Harding in 1921.
The 46th President spoke to a crowd of around 600 on Veterans Day.
