Photo: Michael Reynolds/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty
PresidentJoe Bidenand First LadyJill Bidenvisited the World War II Memorial in Washington on Tuesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and to honor more than 2,400 Americans who died on Dec. 7, 1941.
The wreath contains a single wild sunflower, the State flower of Kansas, to honor Republican Sen. Bob Dole, a U.S. Army veteran of the war who represented that state from 1969 until 1996 anddied Sunday at 98.
Dr. Biden, 70, then approached the wreath and touched it gently and observed a moment of silence.
Her husband did the sign of the cross before they walked together to the New Jersey column, where the first lady laid a bouquet of flowers in honor of her father, Donald Jacobs, who served in the U.S. Navy in WWII.
Michael Reynolds/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Bidens made no public remarks during their early morning visit.
The subtle tribute to Sen. Dole — who was awarded two Purple Hearts for his service in the war — precedes the honor of lying in state at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, whichHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosiand Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumerannounced Monday.
“Senator Dole was an extraordinary patriot, who devoted his entire life to serving our nation with dignity and integrity,” Pelosi said in a statement.
“From the Well of the House to the Floor of the Senate, as a presidential candidate and as an elder statesman, he was one of the foremost advocates for our Servicemembers, veterans and military families,” Pelosi added of Dole, who was a Republican leader in the Senate for more than a decade. “May it be a comfort to his loving wife, his dear daughter and all his loved ones that a grateful nation joins them in mourning during this sad time.”
source: people.com
