乔·拜登总统首次观察到阵亡将士纪念日作为总司令，奥巴马星期一在阿灵顿国家公墓发表讲话，把民主描绘成“美国的灵魂”，一个“值得为之奋斗的灵魂”...值得为之献身。”
拜登在阿灵顿国家公墓的纪念圆形剧场向军人家庭发表了一次强调和激动人心的讲话，警告说:“民主本身在国内和世界各地都处于危险之中。”。"我们如何缅怀逝者将决定民主能否长久。"
“对于那些今天哀悼亲人的人，吉尔和我知道你的感受。我们的损失是不一样的，但是你觉得你胸口的那个黑洞会把你吸进去，我们得到了，”拜登说，并指出周日是他儿子博去世六周年。“我知道你看到你所爱的人穿着我们国家的制服时感到的难以置信的自豪，以及他们穿上它时的自豪。”
周五在弗吉尼亚州汉普顿，拜登分享了博的细节，他于2008年与特拉华国民警卫队一起部署到伊拉克。他死于癌症，享年46岁。
“我们的儿子没有死在伊拉克，但他回来了——作为一个非常健康的年轻人，带着一个严重的脑瘤回来了，因为他的[生活区]就在那些烧伤坑的下风处——我不知道这是不是原因。但是他回家了。这只是他能活多久的问题，”拜登在对军队的讲话中说。
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乔·拜登总统在阿林举行的第153届全国阵亡将士纪念日活动上发表讲话
周一，他的演讲集中在最终的牺牲上——美国军人为国捐躯——以及他所说的林肯总统所说的“最后的全力奉献”
“他们不仅仅死在葛底斯堡、佛兰德斯战场或诺曼底海滩，而是死在阿富汗在过去的20年里，伊拉克的沙漠，”拜登说。
他说，走过阿灵顿第60区——那里埋葬了许多在伊拉克和阿富汗遇难的人——“让我想起了战争的代价。”
“这里有数百个最近冲突的坟墓。数百名爱国者献出了他们的一切，他们中的每一个人都留下了一个每天带着痛苦和缺席生活的家庭。我想向这些家庭中的每一个人保证，我们永远不会忘记你们为我们的国家做出的贡献。
总统上个月宣布，美国将在9.11袭击20周年之前从阿富汗撤出所有军队。他说，他的夹克口袋里有一张纸，上面有在阿富汗和伊拉克阵亡的士兵人数。
“今天，这个数字是7036。拜登说:“在这些冲突中失去生命的7036名堕落天使，在这个阵亡将士纪念日，我们纪念这些遗产和牺牲。“职责。荣誉。国家。他们为此而活。他们为此而死。我们作为一个国家永远感激不尽。”
他继续说，“我们的自由和无数其他人的自由都是由年轻的男女来保证的，他们响应历史的召唤，为一个想法奉献一切。”
总统在他的演讲中强调了美国军队已经为之奋斗并仍在为之奋斗的东西——民主——或者用他的话说，“美国的灵魂”
拜登说:“必须不惜一切代价捍卫民主，因为民主使这一切成为可能。”。“民主。那是美国的灵魂。我相信这是一个值得为之奋斗的灵魂。你也是，一个值得为之牺牲的灵魂。”
亚历克斯·布兰登/美联社
乔·拜登总统和副总统卡玛拉•哈里斯一同抵达，并向
拜登在讲话中还提到了投票权，此前几小时，德克萨斯州民主党人举行了一次罢工，阻止一项限制投票权的法案通过。与此同时，少数几个州推出了支持者称之为限制性过强的投票法案。
“当民主的基础设施强大时，民主就会蓬勃发展。当人们拥有自由、公平和方便的投票权时，”他说。
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从左到右，乔·拜登总统，卡玛拉•哈里斯副总统，国防部长劳埃德·奥斯丁
“在这个阵亡将士纪念日，请记住，并不是所有人都被召唤来做出最终的牺牲。拜登总结道:“上帝、历史和良知都在召唤我们，让我们的国家自由而公平。”。“如果我们尽到了自己的责任，那么未来的岁月会回头看着我们，说我们也保持了信念。”
离开阿灵顿国家公墓时，拜登和第一夫人计划外停留，参观了第12区的一个坟墓，这是第二次世界大战和朝鲜战争中遇难和遇难者的主要埋葬地点。他们还会见了一些家庭。
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乔·拜登总统和第一夫人吉尔·拜登在第153届全国纪念活动结束后回到他们的车上
在发表讲话之前，拜登与副总统卡玛拉•哈里斯和国防部长劳埃德·奥斯丁一起参加了无名战士墓的简短敬献花圈仪式。
亚历克斯·布兰登/美联社
乔·拜登总统在阿灵顿国家公墓的无名战士墓旁触摸了花圈
拜登周日在特拉华州纽卡斯尔市他在威尔明顿的家附近，在退伍军人纪念公园的阵亡将士纪念日仪式上发表了一篇忧郁的演讲，再次向博致敬。
拜登在谈到他已故的儿子时说:“如果他在这里，他也会在这里，向所有那些为我们国家做出巨大贡献的人致以敬意。”。
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身着红衣的第一夫人吉尔·拜登与第一绅士道格·埃姆霍夫(中间)站在一起，后者是乔伊公司的董事长
喜剧演员乔恩·斯图尔特上周在国会山加入立法者的行列，公布了一项广泛的立法，该立法将使接触有毒物质的退伍军人更容易获得退伍军人事务福利。
Biden says democracy 'in peril' in speech honoring fallen troops
President Joe Biden, observing his firstMemorial Dayas commander-in-chief, delivered remarks Monday at Arlington National Cemetery, painting democracy as the "soul of America" and one that "worth fighting for ... worth dying for."
"Democracy itself is at peril, here at home and around the world,” Biden warned in an emphatic and emotional address, speaking to military families at Arlington National Cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater. "How we honor the memory of the fallen will determine whether or not democracy will long endure."
"For those who mourn a loved one today, Jill and I have some idea how you're feeling. Our losses are not the same, but that black hole you feel in your chest as if it's gonna suck you into it, we get," Biden said, noting that Sunday marked the sixth anniversary of his son Beau's death. "I know the incredible pride you felt seeing your loved one wear the uniform of our country and the pride they felt wearing it."
On Friday in Hampton, Virginia, Biden shared details about Beau, who deployed to Iraq in 2008 with the Delaware National Guard. He died at the age of 46 from cancer.
"Our son did not die in Iraq, but he came back -- went as an incredibly healthy young man and came back with a severe brain tumor because his [living quarters] was just downwind from those burn pits -- I don’t know if that’s the reason. But he came home. It was just a matter of how long he lived," Biden said in an address to troops.
His speech Monday focused on the ultimate sacrifice -- U.S. service members dying for their country -- and what he said President Lincoln called "the last full measure of devotion."
"They did not only die at Gettysburg or in Flanders Field or on the beaches of Normandy, but in the mountains ofAfghanistan, the deserts of Iraq, in the last 20 years," Biden said.
He said walking through Arlington's Section 60 -- where many of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan have been buried -- "reminds me of the cost of war."
"Hundreds of graves here from recent conflicts. Hundreds of patriots gave their all, each of them leaving behind a family who live with their pain and their absence every single day. I want to assure each of those families we will never forget what you gave to our country," he said.
The president announced last month that the U.S. will withdraw all troops from Afghanistan before the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. He said he carries a piece of paper in his jacket pocket with the number of troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"Today, that number is 7,036. 7,036 fallen angels who have lost their lives in these conflicts and this Memorial Day we honor the legacy and the sacrifice," Biden said. "Duty. Honor. Country. They live for it. They died for it. And we as a nation are eternally grateful."
He went on, "Our freedom and the freedom of innumerable others has been secured by young men and women who answered the call history and gave everything in service of an idea."
The president underscored throughout his speech what American troops have fought for and are still fighting for -- democracy -- or, as he called it, "the soul of America."
"Democracy must be defended at all costs for democracy makes all this possible," Biden said. "Democracy. That's the soul of America. And I believe it's a soul worth fighting for. And so do you, a soul worth dying for."
Biden also mentioned voting rights in his remarks hours after Texas Democrats staged a walkout to block passage of a bill that would have restricted voting rights. It comes as a handful of states have introduced voting bills that advocates have called too restrictive.
"Democracy thrives when the infrastructure of democracy is strong. When people have the right to vote, freely and fairly and conveniently," he said.
"This Memorial Day, remember that not all of us are called to make the ultimate sacrifice. We all are called by God and by history and by conscience to make our nation free and fair," Biden concluded. "If we do our duty, then ages still to come will look back on us and say that we, too, kept the faith."
While leaving Arlington National Cemetery, Biden and the first lady made an unplanned stop to visit a grave at Section 12 -- a primary burial location of those killed and recovered in World War II and the Korean War. They also met with some families.
Ahead of his remarks, Biden participated in a short wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, also known as the Tomb of the Unknowns, with Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Biden on Sunday gave a somber speech in New Castle, Delaware, near his home in Wilmington, at a Memorial Day observance ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park, again paying tribute to Beau.
"If he were here, he would be here as well, paying his respects to all those -- all those who gave so much for our country,” Biden said of his late son.
Comedian Jon Stewart joined lawmakers last week on Capitol Hill to unveil broad legislation that would make it easier for veterans exposed to toxic substances to access Veterans Affairs benefits.
