Veterans Day Commemorations in Washington, D.C.
Americans across the nation celebrate Veterans Day. All Things Considered profiles some of the commemorations in the capital: Vice President Cheney visited Arlington National Cemetery, while the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, spoke at the Vietnam War Memorial.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
While President Bush spoke in Pennsylvania today about the war on terror, across the country, Americans honored veterans of current and past wars.
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SIEGEL: At Arlington National Cemetery, the US Air Force Concert Band played. Vice President Dick Cheney laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. It holds the remains of unknown soldiers from the First and Second World Wars and from the Korean War. Mr. Cheney also honored one veteran of the conflict they called the Great War. It was the war that ended at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month. That armistice gave rise to this holiday.
Vice President DICK CHENEY: America is still home to a few who served in uniform during the First World War, which came to an end 87 years ago today. Their ranks have grown very thin, yet this nation will never forget all they did for us. One of these gentleman, Emiliano Mercado del Toro, recently celebrated his 114th birthday.
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SIEGEL: The Veterans Administration says it's aware of a few dozen veterans of the Great War who are still alive. But the government doesn't keep a regular count. Over at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine General Peter Pace, spoke of the current war.
General PETER PACE (Chair, Joint Chiefs of Staff): Today, we fight against a real enemy, an enemy whose stated purpose, stated purpose--you can read it just like you can go back and read "Mein Kampf" from Adolf Hitler. You can read what al-Qaeda intends to do. They want to destroy our way of life. They want to take away the opportunities for Americans to join together like this and celebrate our veterans and celebrate our freedom.
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Gen. PACE: I'm here to tell you, as you already know, that there are 2.4 million Americans in uniform today who are flat not going to let that happen.
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SIEGEL: That's General Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaking this afternoon at one of many Veterans Day events around the country.
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SIEGEL: This is NPR, National Public Radio.
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