'I know how hard it is': Biden pays tribute at Arlington National Cemetery

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Joe Biden urged the nation to remember the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of men and women who gave their lives "bound by a common commitment" and honored fallen soldiers during a Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

"We bear witness to the price they paid with every white stone on these hills, every military, cemetery and church slab across America," he said. "To everyone who lost and loved someone in the service of our country, to everyone whose loved ones are still missing or unaccounted for. I know how hard this is."

The president noted that this year marked the nine-year 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 affected him.

Memories can "reopen that black hole in the middle of your chest," he says. "It can take you back to that very moment when you got the phone call, when you heard the knock on the door or when you held your hand and took your last breath. I know it hurts."

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

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

The president said that while his son didn't die on the battlefield, it was the result of a year in the Army in Iraq and working near a scorched field.

He said his administration has approved more than 1 million claims from veterans affected by toxic exposure during service, made possible by a new law he championed. The president signed the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, or PACT, into law in 2022 to quickly provide benefits to veterans suffering from conditions that may not qualify for treatment by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Since taking office, Biden has signed more than 30 bipartisan pieces of legislation in support of service members, veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors, he said.

"Last year, VA issued more benefits and processed more claims than at any time in our history," he said.

"Today, we join in this mourning with gratitude," he said. "Gratitude to the families of the survivors and gratitude to the brave souls who continue to keep the flame of freedom burning across our country and around the world."