“The hurt is still real”

President Biden on Monday invoked the memory of his late son, Handsome Bidenwhile speaking to an audience at Arlington National Cemetery for a Memorial Day ceremony.

Sharing the pain of those whose family members have died in service, Biden noted that this week marks the nine-year anniversary of the loss of his son Beau, who served in Iraq and later died of brain cancer which the president attributes to his time near toxic burn pits.

The president nevertheless took care to make a distinction between the loss of his son and those who lost loved ones on the battlefield.

“Our losses are not the same. He did not die on the battlefield. He was the victim of cancer following his stay in the army in Iraq for a year next to a burn. U.S. Army Major, National Guardian, living and working, like too many others, outside of this toxic burning hotbed,” Biden said.

The president told the audience: “As is the case with many of you, the pain of his loss is with me every day as it is with you. Still vivid. Still clear. But pride that I feel in this service is too, as if I still hear him say: “It’s my duty, Dad. It was my son’s code. Everyone live according to the creed.”

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A major in the Delaware Army National Guard, Beau Biden died of brain cancer in 2015 at Walter Reed Military Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland.

Reactions to Biden’s speech on X were mixed. One user described his speech as a “heartbreaking display of empathy and understanding.” Others accused the president of “blaming it all on himself.”

Biden has repeatedly claimed his son died on the battlefield in Iraq, including while speaking to Marines stationed in Japan and during a 2022 speech in Colorado.

Biden began the day by hosting a White House breakfast for administration officials, military leaders, veterans and Gold Star family members. Joined by Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Biden laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before the ceremony began.

Biden touted the VA’s accomplishments last year for providing “more benefits and processing more claims than ever before in our history.”

He credited the PACT Act, which provides automatic coverage for certain health conditions suffered by veterans exposed to toxic substances such as burn pits or Agent Orange.

“For too long, after fighting for our nation, these veterans have had to fight to get proper health care, to get the benefits they earned, and no more,” he said.

Original article source: Biden pays tribute to late son Beau in somber Memorial Day message: ‘The hurt is still real’