America
Fallen US soldiers "a debt we can never fully repay" says Obama
Washington, May 26
The US President Barack
Obama called the fallen US soldiers "a debt we can never fully repay"
during a visit to the Arlington National Cemetery.
Commemorating
the Memorial Day, a day to honor those who have sacrificed their lives
while serving in the US military, Obama on Monday laid a wreath at the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.
"It is a debt we can never fully
repay," Xinhua quoted Obama as saying, "but it is a debt we never stop
trying to repay, by remaining a nation worthy of their sacrifice. By
living our own lives the way the fallen lived theirs- - a testament that
greater love has no other than this than to lay down your life for your
friends."
The President noted that this is the first Memorial
Day in 14 years that has been observed without US forces engaged in a
major ground war. Obama praised American soldiers for their "honor,
courage and selflessness" in every war, from the Revolutionary war
against Britain to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is also
reported that this is the first Memorial Day ceremony since the end of
the ground war in Afghanistan, where more than 2,200 American soldiers
died since 2001.
Nearly 10,000 American troops are set to remain
in Afghanistan into 2016, fulfilling what the administration called
"non-combat roles", such as coordinating drone strikes and training
Afghan security forces.
"We'll continue to bring them home and
reduce them to embassy presence by the end of next year, but Afghanistan
remains a very dangerous place," Obama said.
Defence Secretary Ashton Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey also spoke at the event.
On
May 30, 1868, the first official Decoration Day was declared by General
John A. Logan and observed at Arlington National Cemetery. During World
War II, the Day was expanded to an renamed Memorial Day to honor all
Americans who died in military service.
The day which is remembered on the last Monday of May, has become a national holiday since 1971.