ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - President Barack Obama is paying tribute to the nation's fallen service members at Arlington National Cemetery, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns and saying Americans "can never fully repay the debt" to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Speaking to military officers, families of the fallen and a crowd of roughly 5,000 gathered under sunny skies, he notes this is the first Memorial Day in 14 years that has been observed without U.S. forces engaged in a major ground war.
The president says most Americans still don't fully understand the sacrifice of the 1 percent serving in the nation's all-volunteer military. He describes Arlington Cemetery as more than a resting place for heroes, but also a reflection of America itself, including its history and diversity.