The President’s Day

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President Barack Obama participates in a full honor wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate Veterans Day in Arlington, Virginia. The tomb contains the remains of an unidentified soldier from World War I and crypts of unknowns from World War II, Korea and Vietnam are set next to the tomb

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Today, we honor the incredible men and women who have served our country. Their sacrifice and selflessness is second to none.

—
President Obama (@POTUS) November 11, 2015

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Of our many commitments, we have one sacred obligation—to prepare those we send to war and care for them when they come home. #VeteransDay

—
Vice President Biden (@VP) November 11, 2015

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President Barack Obama is saluted by retired Navy Vice Adm. Norbert Ryan Jr. as he arrives to speak at the Memorial Amphitheater of Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington

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"We ask so much of our service members and their families. Your resilience and grit should be celebrated." –Dr. Biden #VeteransDay

—
Dr. Jill Biden (@DrBiden) November 11, 2015

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First Lady Michelle Obama applauds Capt. Capt. Rolana Brown of High Point, N.C., during a luncheon for military women, active-duty service members and veterans, spouses and caregivers, at the Vice President’s official residence at the Naval Observatory. Capt. Brown is commander of Echo Company, 266th Quartermaster Battalion at Fort Eustis

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Today and every day I am so incredibly thankful for the service and sacrifice of our veterans. -mo #JoiningForces https://t.co/xBbrX31Ryw

—
The First Lady (@FLOTUS) November 11, 2015

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A Veteran

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Jacqueline OBoomer

He served

He hugged the grandmother,
and mom and dad,
tears in his eyes
that he couldn’t let them see.
Looked over his shoulder
to remember their faces
set in time.
This time in his life
he would only understand
was extraordinary,
looking back.

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Honor and bravery
and, yes, to be a man
were why he signed up early,
why he went off
why he missed a bit of his youth
and journeyed to a far-off
war-time destination
he had never
heard much about
when he was younger.

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The in-between years
are not forgot
They enter in dreams
and memories he sometimes wished
he didn’t have.
He knows he’s not alone
in the recollections
yet only a small amount of comfort
has come from that,
has ever come from that.

It is what it is,
his mantra.
It is what it is.

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But now in the prime
of his older years
he wears a ballcap with the
name of his service on it
and the name of his war.
He remembers the conflict
and when he
remembers the grandmother
remembers mom and dad
he feels the honor
he thinks he brought them.

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The sting of yesterday’s tears
in his crinkly eyes come from
the love of country
the esprit de corps ~
the brothers and comrades
he left behind or
still meets for coffee
on a Wednesday morning
in his hometown.

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And when he and his brothers
talk over coffee
about the “free lunch” for veterans
they’re serving at the
VFW, in a few hours,
he turns to them
(those who, like he,
paid ahead such a high price
for that “free lunch” years ago)
and says,
“We should support that
for the new vets
who might really need it.”

He is what he is.

A veteran.

A man.

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President Speaks at Arlington National Cemetery

11:10 EDT: President Obama Speaks at a Veterans Day Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery

Early Bird Rise And Shine

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Today

9:0 EST: The President hosts a breakfast to honor veterans and their families on Veterans Day. The VP will also attend.

11:0 EST: Visits Arlington Cemetery to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony and deliver remarks

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On This Day: Aboard the USS Carl Vinson, docked at North Island Naval Station in San Diego, Nov. 11, 2011