On Memorial Day, Obama Honors Sacrifices Of Service Members
By
Krishnadev Calamur |
NPR
Monday, May 25, 2015
Army veteran Bernie Klemanek, of Mineral, Va., stops to salute his fallen comrades on Memorial Day during an early morning visit Monday to "The Wall" at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington.
J. David Ake
/
AP
Americans are paying tribute today, Memorial Day, to the sacrifices of service members in the nation's earliest conflicts and the newest.
President Obama laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, just outside Washington.
Some 5,000 people were at the grounds of the cemetery, which Obama called "more than a final resting place for fallen heroes." It is, he said, "a reflection of America itself. A reflection of our history, the wars we've waged for democracy, the peace we've laid to preserve it.
"It is a reflection of our diversity, of people from different races and creeds who fought for the ideals that bind us as one nation."
The president noted that this is the first Memorial Day since the end of the war in Afghanistan. But, he added, "we are acutely aware, as we speak, our men and women in uniform still stand watch and still serve, and still sacrifice around the world."
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
View this story on npr.org
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today