'I know how hard it can be': Biden pays Memorial Day tribute at Arlington National Cemetery

WASHINGTON − President Joe Biden urged the nation to remember the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of men and women who gave their lives “bound by a common commitment” as he honored fallen soldiers during Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

"We bear witness to the price they paid with every white stone across these hills and every military, cemetery and church art across America," he said. "To everyone who's lost and loved, someone in the service of our country, to everyone the loved one's still missing or unaccounted for. I know how hard it can be."

The president noted that this year marked the ninth anniversary of the death of his son, Beau Biden, an Iraq War veteran who died of brain cancer in late May 2015.

Biden spoke about how his son's death had affected him.

The memory can "reopen that black hole in the middle of your chest," he said. "It can bring you back to the exact moment you got that phone call, heard that knock on the door, or held the hand and the last breath was taken. I know it hurts."

While the pain of loss remains with him every day, "so is the pride," he said.

"I can still hear him saying, it's my duty, dad. It's my duty," he said.

The president said while his son did not die on the battlefield, it was a consequence of being in the army in Iraq for a year and working next to a burn field.

He said his administration had approved more than 1 million claims from veterans injured by toxic exposures during their service, actions made possible by a new law he championed, officials said. The president signed the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, or PACT, into law in 2022, with the goal of quickly getting benefits to veterans who were suffering from illnesses that did not qualify for treatment by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Since he took office, Biden has signed over 30 bipartisan laws supporting servicemen, veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors, he said.

"Last year, the VA delivered more benefits and processed more claims than ever in our history," he said.

"Today, we join that grief with gratitude," he said. "Gratitude to the families left behind, and gratitude to the brave souls continued to uphold the flame of liberty all across our country and around the world."

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @SwapnaVenugopal

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden Memorial Day message at Arlington National Cemetery is personal