Paying tribute to the fallen:

[superbeets]

[h=1]Paying tribute to the fallen: War widow left in tears after President Obama's moving speech to families of soldiers killed fighting for their country during his final Memorial Day as Commander-in-Chief[/h]

• War widow Ashley Wheeler was moved to tears by President Obama's tribute to her husband MSgt Joshua Wheeler
• Obama was speaking to families and friends of fallen soldiers at the Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia
• Also paid tribute to Marines Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin and Charles Keating IV both killed fighting for their country
• President laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier while he urged everyone to do 'acts of remembrance'
• Hillary Clinton also joined in Memorial Day events by participating in a parade Monday, in Chappaqua, New York
• More than 500 Gulf War veterans also preparing to march in National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C.
• Families also paid tributes to their loved ones including Christian Jacobs, 5, pictured wearing a replica Marines uniform next to grave of his father - Srgt. Christian James Jacobs who was killed in a training accident in 2011

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By HANNAH PARRY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 18:14, 30 May 2016 | UPDATED: 22:06, 30 May 2016

 

[superbeets]

Barack Obama has used his final Memorial Day as Commander-in-Chief to pay tribute to the brave men and women who have died fighting for their country.
The President laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia, on Monday to honor members of the military who have been killed fighting in America's wars.
He also made a moving speech to the gathered families and friends of the fallen soldiers while he urged his fellow Americans to join him in 'acts of remembrance' during the holiday.
War widow Ashley Wheeler, who was holding her ten-month-old son, was moved to tears by Obama's speech as he paid tribute to her husband Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler.

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Barack Obama has used his final Memorial Day as Commander-in-Chief to pay tribute to the brave men and women who have died fighting for their country

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War widow Ashley Wheeler, who was holding her ten-month-old son, was moved to tears by Obama's speech as he paid tribute to her husband Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler

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The President laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia, on Monday to honor members of the military who have been killed fighting in America's wars

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The wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is an annual tradition during the Memorial Day weekend

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Obama stood with Maj. Gen. Bradley A. Becker, during the wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia

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President Barack Obama, center, arrives with Maj. Gen. Bradley A. Becker, right, for the wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, on Memorial Day

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Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (2nd R) also joined in with Memorial Day events, as she took part in a parade with former U.S. President Bill Clinton (L) and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo (R) in Chappaqua, New York

 

[superbeets]

MSgt Wheeler, a highly decorated Delta Force operator who earned 11 Bronze Star Medals including four with Valor Devices, was killed in firefight with ISIS jihadis in October last year, while rescuing 70 hostages held by the terrorist group in an Iraqi prison.
President Obama said one of the hostages described Wheeler, who enlisted in the military aged 19, and his rescue team as a heaven-sent force. While he said the soldier was a loving father who would write notes to his children in the piles of books he read.

'As Americans we try to be better citizens because of the likes of Joshua Wheeler,' Obama told the crowd, as he urged everyone to help keep their stories alive.
'We are so proud of them, we are so grateful for their sacrifice.
'My god bless the fallen and their families, may he bless all of you and may he bless these United States of America.'

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Little Christian Jacobs, 5, of Hertford, North Carolina, was pictured by his father's grave, Marines Srgt. Christian James Jacobs who was killed in a training accident in 2011 - when his son was just 8 months old

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Dressed as a Marine, Christian looked solumn as he stood by his father's gravestone which is adorned with flowers, cards and an American flag

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The youngster told reporters later year that his father 'is always watching over me and makes sure he's proud of me'

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Brittany Jacobs embraces her son Christian as they visit the grave of his father U.S. Marine, Christopher Jacobs, on Memorial Day

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U.S. Army soldier Matt Weber breaks down in tears and is comforted by Jenny Fleming as he visits the grave of Jason Arnette at Arlington National Cemetery

 

[superbeets]

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U.S. Army soldiers Rick Kolberg (L) and Jesus Gallegos embrace as they visit the graves of Raymond Jones and Peter Enos on Memorial Day

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Two visitors take flowers to a grave on Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington after President Obama's speech

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A woman carries red roses as she walks among graves on Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington

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Laureen Lopez Berry lies at the grave of her husband Army Staff Sgt. Richard Liam Berry, who died July 22, 2012, while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom in Zharay, Afghanistan

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Aiden Schmidt, 6, of Leechburg, sits next to his fathers's grave on Memorial Day. Aiden's father Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan P. Schmidt, died Sept. 1, 2012, in Batur Village, Afghanistan, while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom

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A member of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment 'The Old Guard' walked with visitors among the graves at Arlington National Cemetery

 

[superbeets]

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People embrace and comfort each other on Memorial Day in section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia

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Amy Space pushes a double stroller carrying her son Nicholas Jerry Space 4, as her daughter Natalie Space, 6, to visit the grave of her brother Sergeant Major Jerry Dwayne Patton, 40, who died on October 15, 2008, during High Altitude High Opening training

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An honor guard stood along the route as US President Barack Obama arrived at the Memorial Day observance at Arlington National Cemetery

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Vietnam war veterans joined thousands of other guests at the Memorial Day observance at Arlington National Cemetery

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The Vietnam veterans listened to the president's speech as he praised the soldiers who have given their lives for their country

 

[superbeets]

The President had also paid tribute to Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin, a 27-year-old field artilleryman who died in March this year after ISIS militants launched a rocket attack on a coalition base in Makhmur in northern Iraq. His fellow Marines said that Cardin had just made sure everyone was safely in the bunker when he was killed.
Obama saluted Staff Sgt Cardin, who signed up to the Marines just three days after graduating high school, and thanked him for his sacrifice, saying he had given 'his life protecting the Marines in his command.'
'Putting others before himself was what Louis did best,' he added.
He also thanked 31-year-old Charles Keating IV for his sacrifice. The Navy SEAL is the most recent American to die in a US conflict after he was killed in a firefight with ISIS fighters earlier this month.
'The Americans who rest here and their families represent the best of us,' Obama said. 'They ask of us today only one thing in return: that we remember them.'
In his remarks, Obama called for Americans to honor the families and the battle buddies they left behind.
'We have to do better,' he said. 'We have to be there not only when we need them, but when they need us.'
Obama said Keating joined the Navy SEALs because it was the hardest thing to do. He quoted a platoon friend of Keating who told his parents in a letter soon after their son's death 'please tell everyone Chuck saved a lot of lives today.'
Ahead of today's solemn ceremony, the President had released a video urging Americans to remember the ultimate sacrifice made by so many US troops.
'Remembering them - searing their stories and their contributions into our collective memory - that's an awesome responsibility. It's one that all of us share as citizens.'

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The President made a moving speech to the gathered families and friends of the fallen soldiers while he urged his fellow Americans to join him in 'acts of remembrance' during the holiday

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US President Barack Obama praised those who had given the ultimate sacrifice for their country and he told the crowd 'As Americans we try to be better citizens because of the likes of Joshua Wheeler' - one of the fallen soldiers

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President Barack Obama, left, accompanied by Defense Secretary Ash Carter, right, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, center, spoke at the Memorial Amphitheater of Arlington National Cemetery

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Gen. Dunford and Barack Obama saluted a member of the audience ahead of the president's speech at Memorial Amphitheater of Arlington National Cemetery

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President Barack Obama speaks at the Memorial Amphitheater of Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, during a Memorial Day ceremony

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President Barack Obama addressed a huge crowd at the Memorial Amphitheater of Arlington National Cemetery during the Memorial Day ceremony

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Sandra Titus of Dallas, Texas, waves her flag while listening to President Barack Obama's moving speech on Monday

 

[superbeets]

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People listen as US President Barack Obama speaks during an event to honor Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery

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People listen as US President Barack Obama speaks during an event to honor Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery

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President Barack Obama speaks in the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington during a Memorial Day ceremony

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President Barack Obama speaks in the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington during a Memorial Day ceremony

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US President Barack Obama (2R) and US Major General Bradley A. Becker (R), Commander of the Military District of Washington, listen to Taps after placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

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A young child receives a small American flag before President Barack Obama speaks at the Memorial Amphitheater of Arlington National Cemetery

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Obama paid tribute to Master Sergeant Joshua L. Wheeler (pictured) 39, of Roland, Oklahoma, was killed in action Thursday in Kirkuk Province, Iraq

 

[superbeets]

But he said it was also important to do more than only honor their memory, such as hiring a veteran 'who is ready and willing to serve at home just as they did abroad.'
'We have to be there for their families. The debt we owe our fallen heroes is one we can never truly repay,' he said. 'But our responsibility to remember is something we can live up to every day of the year.'
Obama's speech at Arlington National Cemetery today continues a long standing tradition for the president to honor fallen soldiers and their families on Memorial Day. Prior to his speech at the cemetery, he had held a breakfast reception at the White House for family members of fallen service members and veterans groups.
Back in the cemetery, families mourned the loss of loved ones who died fighting for their country.
Little Christian Jacobs, 5, of Hertford, North Carolina, was pictured by his father's grave, Marines Srgt. Christian James Jacobs who was killed in a training accident in 2011 - when his son was just 8 months old.

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, was all smiles as she gave a double thumbs up during a Memorial Day parade Monday,in Chappaqua, New York

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, center with glasses, walks in a Memorial Day parade Monday, in Chappaqua, New York

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Hillary Clinton was joined by her husband, and former president, Bill Clinton - wearing a fetching pair of blue sneakers - Governor Andrew Cuomo at the parade

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The Democratic president front-runner, who wore a bright blue suit and low heels, marched in the annual New Castle Memorial Day Parade in Chappaqua, New York

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, center with blue glasses, walked in a Memorial Day parade Monday, in Chappaqua, New York

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A cheerful Hillary Clinton marched in the annual New Castle Memorial Day Parade in Chappaqua, New York giving a eave to photographers and supporters as she passed

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, center, greets parade goers as she walks in a Memorial Day parade

 

[superbeets]

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Firefighters salute as the Memorial Day parade - which included the likes of Hillary Clinton, her husband former President Bill Clinton, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo - passed by

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her husband former President Bill Clinton later attended a Memorial Day ceremony

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Former Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., center, arrives before President Barack Obama speaks at the Memorial Amphitheater of Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Va., Monday, May 30, 2016, during a Memorial Day ceremony

 

[superbeets]

Dressed as a Marine, Christian looked solemn as he stood by his father's gravestone which is adorned with flowers, cards and an American flag.
He told reporters later year that his father 'is always watching over me and makes sure he's proud of me.'
Jacobs had enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2000, according to the Marine Times. During his time in the military, he received several awards including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Iraqi Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
As the President was paying tribute to members of the armed forces that had been lost, more than 500 Gulf War veterans were preparing to march in the American Veterans Center's National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C.
The parade marks the 25th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm and participants will follow part of the same route that service members returning from the Middle East marched 25 years ago.
Outside of the capital, towns and cities across America held their own parades and ceremonies to mark Memorial Day.
In New York, thousands of people came out to catch a view of the Clintons, who waved to their supporters as they marched in the annual New Castle Memorial Day Parade in Chappaqua.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary, who wore a bright blue suit, blue sunglasses and heels, was joined by her husband and former president Bill Clinton and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Despite Obama's efforts to end the US's involvement in the Middle East, almost 10,000 US service members remain stationed in Afghanistan, while a further 4,000 troops are battling ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Memorials to veterans in a Los Angeles neighborhood and a town in Kentucky, as well as a Civil War veterans cemetery in Virginia, were damaged in the run up to Memorial Day.

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U.S. President Barack Obama participates in wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in observance of Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, U.S.

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U.S. President Barack Obama participates in wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in observance of Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, U.S.

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U.S. President Barack Obama participates in wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in observance of Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, U.S.

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U.S. President Barack Obama participates in wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in observance of Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, U.S.

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U.S. President Barack Obama participates in wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in observance of Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, U.S.

 

[superbeets]

A Vietnam War memorial in the Venice area of Los Angeles was extensively defaced by graffiti last week. KCAL/KCBS-TV reported. The homespun memorial painted on a block-long wall on Pacific Avenue lists the names of American service members missing in action or otherwise unaccounted for in Southeast Asia.
News of the vandalism came as another veterans-related memorial was reported damaged in Henderson, Kentucky. Police say a Memorial Day cross display there that honors the names of 5,000 veterans of conflicts dating back to the Revolutionary War has been damaged by a driver who plowed through the crosses early Saturday.
Meanwhile, in Virginia, the Petersburg National Battlefield has apparently has been looted, the National Park Service said. Numerous excavations were found at the Civil War battlefield last week,
Jeffrey Olson said looters ripped up parts of the battlefield in an apparent search for relics from a siege that led to the end of the American Civil War in 1865. Looting of such sites is a federal crime carrying a penalty of up to two years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
'This kind of aberrant behavior is always disgusting but it is particularly egregious as Memorial Day weekend arrives, a time when we honor the memories of our friends and family,' said Lewis Rogers, superintendent of Petersburg National Battlefield, in the statement posted on Friday.

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Retired Army Maj. Gary S. Conley gets help from his granddaughter Kailynne Conley, 4, straightening flags at the Dayton National Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio

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Former U.S. Air Force pilot James Mitchell, of Winchester, Virginia, walks among American flags on his way to a Memorial Day service at Shenandoah Memorial Park in Virginia

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Marjorie Vassie visits the grave of her brother Pelham Revell, a World War II veteran, after the Memorial Day observance at Kent Forest Lawn Cemetery in Panama City, Florida

 

[superbeets]

Thank you to the U.S.Military and their families. Today I will remember those that gave their lives.

 

[Michelangelo]

Beets, the pictorial essays that you bring to this board are SUPERIOR.

Thank you for always enlightening my day.

 

[ScottL]

The 8th picture in post #2 trashed this thread.