"This weekend, folks across the country are opening up the pool,
firing up the grill, and taking a well-earned moment to relax. But
Memorial Day is more than a three-day weekend. In town squares and
national cemeteries, in public services and moments of quiet reflection,
we will honor those who loved their country enough to sacrifice their
own lives for it.
This Memorial Day, Michelle and I will join Gold Star families,
veterans, and their families at Arlington National Cemetery. We'll pay
tribute to patriots of every generation who gave the last full measure
of devotion, from Lexington and Concord to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Later that day, we'll join Vietnam veterans and their families at the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial-the Wall. We'll begin to mark the 50th
anniversary of the Vietnam War. It's another chance to honor those we
lost at places like Hue, Khe Sanh, Danang and Hamburger Hill. And we'll
be calling on you-the American people-to join us in thanking our Vietnam
veterans in your communities.