Barack Obama honored the fallen at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 25, 2009. The commander-in-chief returned from Camp David on Sunday night so that he could have breakfast this morning with Gold Star Families in the State Dining Room and participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Perhaps setting a new precedent, Obama added a second wreath to a memorial honoring African-Americans who fought in the Civil War.
The president spoke to the crowd at the Memorial Amphitheater, where he paid tribute to all who have given their lives for this country. He said, in part: “Those who rest in these fields fought in every American war. They overthrew an empire and gave birth to revolution. They strained to hold a young union together. They rolled back the creeping tide of tyranny, and stood post through a long twilight struggle. And they took on the terror and extremism that threatens our world’s stability.”
See video of the ceremony and Obama’s speech below.
White House Photos: Lawrence Jackson