During a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, President Biden, then 80 years old, had a brief moment of bewilderment and needed assistance from a member of the Arlington Honor Guard. After placing the wreath, the President was accidentally a few steps away from Vice President Kamala Harris until he was redirected.
Recognizing the rising global tensions, President Biden went forward with a moving speech about the ‘ultimate sacrifice’ made by American troops. ‘[T]hey stand guard across the world, often at great personal hazard,’ he said, praising the devotedness of American servicemen and women. War, strife, death, and loss, he said, are not an afterthought in American history but rather fundamental elements of the American story.
As President Biden addressed the audience, hundreds of pro-Palestine activists gathered on his Delaware estate, condemning U.S. backing for Israel in the Middle East crisis. At Arlington National Cemetery, the President was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff in paying tribute to the military forces.
President Biden began his address to service members and Gold Star families by honoring those buried at Arlington who gave “the last full measure of devotion,” including those who fought in recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq alongside those who fought at Gettysburg and Normandy.
Hundreds of graves are here from recent conflicts, he said, honoring the fallen heroes of our nation’s most recent wars. Countless heroes gave their all for their country, and now their loved ones must deal with daily reminders of what they’ve lost. He spoke of conflicts in which soldiers were “linked in a chain of honor that stretches back to our founding days,” calling veterans the “steel spine of this nation.”
Every American soldier has sworn an oath of allegiance to an ideology — the United States of America — that is unlike any other in human history, and this was a point President Biden made clear. He took a card out of his jacket that he’s been carrying about since his days as vice president; on it was written the current number of American military fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan: 7,036.
As President Biden spoke at Arlington for the 70th annual National Veterans Day Observance, a large demonstration about the Middle East crisis was taking place outside his home in Delaware. Palestinian flags waved with posters demanding for an end to U.S. financing of Israel.
In addition to addressing specific issues, the President also addressed wider democratic themes, such as the significance of remembering the sacrifices of our military, the robust foundation upon which our democracy rests, and the “right to vote freely, fairly, and conveniently.” He emphasized the never-ending fight for freedom and equal opportunity, saying that each new generation opens the door a crack further.