Trump Lays Wreath at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Honors America’s Fallen on Memorial Day
President Donald Trump laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate Memorial Day and later paid tribute to America’s fallen soldiers.
Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stood alongside the president during the ceremony. The Star-Spangled Banner and taps preceded and followed the laying of the wreath by the President.
Trump, Vance, Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine then delivered remarks in the amphitheater.
“With reverent hearts we honor those who fell that our republic might stand, those who died that our nation might live, those who gave up their sacred light on earth that the sublime light of American freedom might shine forever,” Trump said.
“On this Memorial Day, we salute them, we exalt them and we thank them for all that we have and for all that they have given. They have given everything. God bless our fallen heroes,” he added.
Trump promised Gold Star families that their loved ones who died for the United States would never be forgotten.
Vance spoke about the debt Americans owe to their fallen and the enormous sacrifices these soldiers made for the country:
Today, it’s for the veterans who put on the uniform, who went overseas and never came back home. When I think of the debt we owe them, I think of all that they have given, which cannot be measured in dollars or the things of this world, but is measured in things like weddings they never got to attend, children they never saw grow up, daughters and sons they never got to hug or kiss again, loved ones, husbands and wives. They traded every moment from the moment they gave their lives to the moment they would finally meet their natural end, each of those moments they gave up so that the United States could remain the freest and best country in the entire world. What an incredible thing. What an incredible gift.
In his remarks, Hegseth emphasized that the United States and its freedoms were paid for with “American blood.”
“On this solemn day, we must remember that our republic was forged and purchased with blood, American blood. So pause today and reflect on the transformation these warriors experienced for our nation. Share it with your children and your grandchildren. We must,” he said.
“Ordinary men, when called upon, can become our heroes. They fought not because they hate what is in front of them, but because they love what is behind them,” he added.
Speaking to Gold Star families who have lost a loved one in combat, Caine promised their family member would never be forgotten.
“To the Gold Star families here today and to those watching across this great country, we know that for you Memorial Day is not just one date on a calendar, it is literally every day,” he said.
“You carry a burden that most of us cannot understand, but you do it with a grace and resilience that inspires an entire nation. We cannot replace what you have lost, but we can promise you this: the names of your loved ones will never be forgotten,” he added.
Caine said their names are “woven into the fabric of our nation’s history.”
