America has lost 4,391 servicemembers in Iraq and 1,074 in Afghanistan. Today, Vice President Joe Biden, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen convened at Arlington National Cemetery to pay tribute to them and to those who came before them. Mr Biden said:
“Collectively, the generation of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who have served and sacrificed for us are the heart and soul...of this nation. And as a nation, we pause today to remember them; they gave their lives fulfilling their oath to this nation and to us. And in doing so, they imparted a responsibility on us to recognize, to respect, to honor and to care for those who risked their lives so that we can live our lives.”May God Bless America.
“They lived with integrity; they served nobly; they gave everything. They fought for what they believed in and maybe most importantly, they believed in something bigger than themselves. “They believed ... in all of us and they believed in America. So on this day, this solemn day, let us strive once again to be individuals in a nation worthy of that belief.”
