Mr. Biden never served in the military, having received draft deferments during the Vietnam War. But his display honored not only current and former members of the military but also called to mind his son Joseph R. Biden III, known as Beau, who served as an Army major and died of brain cancer in 2015.
The choice to visit the tomb immediately after the inauguration was a first for a newly elected president, providing a bipartisan display of support for the country’s armed forces.
Established in honor of unnamed soldiers lost in the First World War, the memorial has become a place to honor the sacrifices of American service members. Remains have been added over time, with burials conducted in 1958 and 1984 of those lost in later wars.
The memorial has been a favored destination for Mr. Biden, who also visited the site as vice president under Mr. Obama. Former President Trump, who did not attend Mr. Biden’s inauguration or the ceremony, laid a wreath there in 2017, but drew backlash for skipping events honoring fallen soldiers on Veterans Day the following year.
The former first ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Rodham Clinton also stood by in silence as the ceremony took place.
Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/us/politics/biden-obama-bush-clinton-cemetery.html
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