vietnam war, i know the wounds of war are slow to heal. you know that better than most. but today, we take another step. the task of telling your story continues. decades from now, i hope another young american will visit this place and reach out and touch a name. she will learn the story of service members, people she never met and fought a war she never knew and in that moment of understanding, and gratitude,in that in or. -- grace, your legacy will endure. may god bless you. may god bless our families. may god bless our men and women in uniform, and may god bless

the united states of america. [applause] >> think you very much, mr. president. -- think you very much. there is a tradition of the wall with a new name is red, it is honored. 10 new names were added to the wall. we ask families of these heroes to rise as their loved ones are red. -- are read. albert corava. [applause] joseph william albit. richard carld hunt.

[applause] richard dwayne stalker. [applause] david mcqueen disowitz. walter allan grensy. frank a. miery. david lawrence deckerd. [applause] larry morgan kelly. [applause] johnny owen brooks. [applause]

now there is the names of 58,282 heroes. ladies and gentlemen, please live at -- please rise as the president, first lady and other distinguished leaders take their place at the wall with the a place at a solid who represent not only loved ones, but all who served, suffered, it sacrifice in the name of freedom. joining the president and first lady is mrs. rose marie saber brown, wife of the medal of honor winner. joining the vice-president of the united states, joe biden and

r. joe biden is mrs. judanine sigen. in honor of american prisoners of war. joining for hon. leon panetta, secretary of defense, the sara frances chea, in honor of all those who remain unaccounted for it to whom we renew our commitment to the fullest possible accounting. joining the hon. can salazar, secretary of the interior, the brother and specialist of the u.s. army as they honor all who served. shinseki,n. directions at teric

ons of frank meiry.neiry joining general rate or bnl, chief of staff united states army, genet early, wife of howard early in honor of every soldier who served. joining major-general timothy he and a thin, united states marine corps, carter krause, a mother of medal of honor recipient,

bruce carter in honor of every marine who served. joining averell mark ferguson, vice chief of naval operations, stephanie low burke, these of petty officer richard hunt in honor of every sailor who served. joining general philip brief shine.een joining the vice admiral, nathan brown, united states coast radishire.ry pressur

joining it general craig mcanally, chief of national guard bureau, bill stylar he and steven tyler in honor of every member of the guard and reserves to serve. joining honorable william burns, deputy secretary of state, is in the colon, the wife of foreign service officer, and gregory ndino in honor of the state department and those who serve. deputyg the hon. th secretary, a vietnam veteran and member of the department of transportation to honor all who served in the merchant marine. joining mr. jan scruggs, missed billy gabriel, the sister of james gabriel and honor of all

special forces. joining major general victor hego, daughters of colonel bandwind in honor all those that serve. ♪ "saving grace" on bag

pipes]

♪hen developing law la ♪

♪ ♪

[applause]

[stars and stripes forever playing] [marching band continues]

♪

[applause] >> please be seated. [martial music playing] glory of the coming of the lord he is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are

stored his truth is marching on glory, glory, hallelujah laurie, glory, glory, hallelujah glory, glory, hallelujah his truth is marching on

i see in the watch [indistinct lyrics] his name is marching on glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah his truth is marching on

[applause] in the beauty of the day with the glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me [indistinct lyrics] his truth is marching on

glory, glory hallelujah, glory, glory hallelujah his truth is marching on glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah his truth is marching on glory glory ♪

>> please be seated. veterans, thank you. >> earlier it it it is a novel was the arlington national cemetery. he was joined by leon panetta the then chairman and general martin dempsey. this is 40 minutes. ♪h

[star spangled banner playing]

♪

♪

storey force headquarters, a national -- and, in the u.s. military district of washington. major general michael lind said, a commanding general, united states army military district of washington. kathrin commented, executive director, arlington national cemetery program. general dempsey, each piece of t chiefs of staff. .eon panetta

♪ ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states. [applause] ladies and gentleman, a chaplain berry.ain internal god, lord of the living and dead, you have made yourself known to us, but also through your works in the history of our

nation, from its birth to the present. you have guided us through times of the diversity and prosperity, three times of war and peace. by your own hand and on our behalf, you have shown yourself strong to save us among all the nations of the earth, america has been richly blessed and remarkable in extraordinary ways. we turn to you today to remember with highest esteem and devoted respect our fellow citizens who have fallen in america's wars as members of the armed forces. many of these americans died before the end of the guns. many of them died alone, all of them served for the sake of future generations of americans who they themselves would never know. many of them are now long dead, yet time will did neither the glory of their deeds for the sting of their loss.

we remember them and honor their devoted sacrifice. enable us to develop the labor of valor, duty, and selflessness for those of continue to fly high the flight and liberty. this is our hope, and therefore, it is for this we pray. all men. -- amen. please join the army be and in singing our national anthem. -- army band in singing our national anthem. ♪

♪ [applause]

please be seated. ladies and gentlemen, general dempsey. [applause] >> mr. president, secretary panetta, members of congress, distinguished guests, and the families of our missing in fallen warriors, welcome. today, as we lay wreaths and plant flags, it is worth noting memorial day was originally known as decoration day. we decorate with vibrant colors to express the depth of our collective attitude and pride in those risking everything for our country. despite the celebratory use, the american family also pauses to warn members of the military family who will not come home.

this complex range of emotions is evident in the peace by one of america's greatest writers. a military parent himself, one of his poems, entitled decoration day, speaks to the experience of any family who has sent a son or daughter off to war. his own son charlie returned safely from the civil war, he was moved by the fact that many more did not. it is closing lines, he frames and eternal relationship between fallen service members and the nation they protect. he says, your silent hints of green, we deck with fragrant flowers. yours has been suffering been, the memory shall be hours. 130 years after writing those words, he still has a right. the memory is ours. on memorial day we honor the

memory in hartsdale ceremonies across this land. if this is a manifestation of the sacred bond -- sacred bond of trust between the military family and larger family. what really counts is how we nurture the bond with those still here and how we turned that memory into action. today we stand behind families that will never be whole again, but we must continue to stand with them every day. supporting them in the ways they need it most, particularly as the transition back into their home communities shows we did not just think of them, but that we really do remember, in those communities have the most important role to play in this effort. every national level department and every agency represented here today is committed to making education, medical care, and employment opportunities accessible to the military family. the va cannot drop the kids out

at soccer and hope to study for the final college exam. no one looks after you like friends, neighbors, or family. when you think about it like that, it is no surprise to begin at the community level as a local service years before was recognized nationally. it starts with us preserving the bonds of trust is something that demands are constant attention, and something we will have to keep delivering, and we will. because the memory is ours, all of hours. we will remember. may god bless our fallen, missing, and their families, and may god bless america. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentleman, the

last full measure of devotion. ♪

♪ ♪ the grateful nation bows its head in sorrow. and >> the last full measure of the boat -- of devotion is what they get to the cause. the last full measure of

devotion is what they get to the cause. -- they gave to the cause. we pay >> trivia to their lives and get them all the glory. >> ♪ the last full measure of devotion beyond the call of duty was their deed ♪ measure ofst full devotion when they get to liberty ♪ ♪

♪ [applause]

[applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, guests, veterans, active service members, mrs. obama, mr. president, it is an honor to be able to be here today with all of you to observe memorial day on this most sacred ground for our military and our nation. arlington and all of the men and women who rest here are a constant reminder that freedom is not free. today, we join the americans in coming together to pay tribute to all those brave americans who have fought and died for our country.

we honor and remember america's heroes, our patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of their liberties. as we have for the past 10 memorial days, today we still gather at a time of war. today, the american people remember more than 6400 heroes who have died in defense of our nation since september 11. today, we will also pay tribute to the 58,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coastguardsman who died in vietnam on this 50th anniversary of that war.

they and their families have paid a price beyond measure. because of their sacrifice, we are free and we are secure. we are safer because they were willing to put their lives on the line. all of the millions of brave patriots who have stepped forward to serve this nation in time of war deserve our gratitude, and respect, and our enduring support because they have kept our nation safe. we honor those american families for whom this day is most difficult.

the mothers and fathers and husbands and wives and sons and daughters who have lost a child, spouse, or a parent. since becoming secretary of defense, like the president, i have written hundreds of letters of condolences to those families. there are no words that can heal, and no sentences that can lessen the loss, but in the struggle to find the right words, i tell them their loved one died for all they loved. for the spouse, children, for their family, for their country to ensure the survival of our way of life and our nation. the memory of their loved ones will be in our hearts every day for the rest of our lives.

they will never be forgotten. they are forever heroes. we must resolve to do all we can for these families. it takes all of us, every citizen, every community, every business, to care for those families. that is why the consolation and support of organizations are so important. we hope will emerge from a decade of war. we must renew our pledge on this memorial day to do all we can to insure the sacrifices of our service members and their families are honored.

and that those who fell in battle are remembered and never forgotten. as americans, that must be our sacred charge and our sacred mission, not just on memorial day, but every day. they fought and died for us. we must now fight to protect the memory of their sacrifice forever. it is now my privilege and my honor to introduce someone who has taken this charge to its heart. i have been honored to work closely with president obama as director of the cia and now as secretary of defense, and to have the opportunity to see how seriously he takes his responsibilities as commander-

in-chief. he has no higher priority than to protect this country and to protect those who protect all of us. ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states. [applause] >> good morning, everybody. thank you for your introduction and for your incredible service to our country. general dempsey, all of you who are here today, active duty, veterans, family and friends of the fallen, it thank you for allowing me the privilege of joining you in this sacred place to commemorate memorial day. these 600 acres are home to

americans from every part of the country who gave their lives in every corner of the globe. whenever revolution needed to be waged and a union needed to be saved, they left their homes and took up arms for the sake of an idea. from vietnam to afghanistan, they stepped forward and answered the call. they fought for a home they might never return to. they fought for buddies they would never forget. they rest here together, side by side, row by row because each of them loved this country and everything it stands for more

than life itself. today, we come together as americans to pray, to reflect, and to remember these heroes. tomorrow, this will once again belong to a smaller group of visitors who make their way through the gates and across these fields in the heat and a cold, in the rain and snow, following a path to a certain spot and kneeling in front of a familiar headstone. you are the family and friends of the fallen. parents and children, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, by birth and by sacrifice.

you leave the piece of your hearts beneath these trees. you call this sanctuary home. your footsteps trace the path of our history. for the first time in nine years, americans are not fighting and dying in iraq. [applause] we are winding down the war in afghanistan and our troops will continue to come home. [applause] after a decade under the dark cloud of war, but we can see the light of a new day on the horizon. especially for those who have lost a loved one, this chapter will remain open after the guns have fallen silent.

it is fitting to pay tribute to the sacrifice that spanned that conflict. in march of 2003, on the first day of the invasion, one of our helicopters crashed near the iraqi border with kuwait. on it were four marines. together, they became the first american casualties of the iraq war. their families and friends barely had time to register the beginning of the conflict before being forced to confront the costs.

eight years, seven months, and 25 days later, army specialist david hickman was on patrol in baghdad. that is when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb. he became the last of nearly 4500 american patriots to give their lives in iraq. a month after david's death, the days before the last american troops were scheduled to come home, i met with the family. right now, they are beginning a very difficult journey that so many of your families have traveled before. a journey that even more families will take and the months and years ahead. i repeat what i said to the hickmans. i cannot begin to fully understand your loss.

i cannot begin to imagine what it's like to hear that knock on the door and learn that your worst fears have come true. as commander in chief, i can tell you that sending our troops into harm's way it is the most wrenching decision that i have to make. i can promise you i will never do so unless it is absolutely necessary. when we do, we must give our troops a clear mission and the full support of a grateful nation. as a country -- [applause] as the country, all of us should ask ourselves how we can help your shoulder a burden that nobody should have to bear alone. as we honor your mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, we have given -- who have given their last full measure of

devotion to this country, we have to ask ourselves how we can support you and your families and give you some strength. one thing we can do is remember these heroes as you remember them. not just as a number or a name on a headstone, but as americans often far too young who were guided by an abiding love for their families, each other, and this country. we can remember the pilots who met his wife on an aircraft carrier. if anything happens to me, just know i am doing what i love. we can remember the former track star, always the first one into action, who quit his job as an accountant and joined the marines because he wanted to do something more meaningful with his life. we can remember brian kennedy,

the lacrosse fanatic who told his father about the marines were some of the best men he had ever dealt with. they would be his friends forever. we can remember kendall waters, a proud father, who was described as a light in a very dark world. we can remember david hickman, a freshman in high school when the war began, a fitness fanatic who jokingly called himself zeus. we can remember them. we can meet our obligations to those who did come home, and their families in the midst of a different and a real battle of their own.

to all of our men and women in uniform here today, know this. the patriots who rested beneath these hills were fighting for many things, for their families, for their flag. above all, they were fighting for you. as long as i am president, we will make sure you and your loved ones received the benefits you have current and the respect you deserve. america will be there for you. [applause] finally, for all of you who carry a special weight on your heart, we can strive to be a nation worthy of your sacrifice, a nation that is fair and equal, peaceful and free, a nation that weighs the cost of every human life, a nation where all of us meet our obligations to one another, and to this country that we love. that is what we can do.

as president, i have no higher honor and a greater responsibility than serving as commander in chief of the greatest military the world has ever known. [applause] on days like this, i take pride in the fact that this country has always been home to men and women willing to give of themselves until they have nothing more to give. i take heart and the strength and resolve of those who served here and around the world. we must always strive to be worthy of your sacrifice. god bless you. god bless the fallen. god bless our men and women in uniform. may god bless the united states of america.

[applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand before the playing of "taps" and the benediction. ["taps" playing]

>> go into the world to preserve peace, remember the wisdom you have learned, and be courageous. pursue excellence in all things and cling to that which is good. lift up the oppressed, defend the helpless, honor god, fear no man. love and serve the lord, amen. >> please remain in place until the president has departed.

[applause] ♪ >> the new america, asia is hosting a discussion today of what has learned from the documents retreat at osama bin laden, lb during last year's rate. we will hear from offer a report on what the document say about the future of al qaeda. that is live on c-span to it 12:15 eastern. here on c-span, headlines in your calls live on