LIVE VIDEO — President Barack Obama observes Memorial Day by attending ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.
By NBC News, msnbc.com staff and wire services
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is paying tribute to the nation's fallen warriors on Memorial Day, attending a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and honoring those who died during the Vietnam War.
"These 600 acres are home to Americans from every part of the country who gave their lives in every part of the globe," said the president at the cemetery, after taking part in the traditional laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
“Whenever revolution needed to be waged and a union needed to be saved, they left their homes and took up arms for the sake of an idea," Obama said. “They rest here together side by side, row by row, because each of them loved this country and everything it stands for, more than life itself."
The president promised war veterans that "we will be there for you," to ensure that troops returning home from battle get the benefits they deserve.
Preceding Obama, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that "all the men and women who rest here are a constant reminder that freedom is not free." He noted that some 6,400 men and women have died defending America since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Obama was traveling later Monday to the Vietnam War Memorial to give special recognition to the troops who served and died in that war.
More than 2,000 Vietnam veterans and family members of soldiers who died were invited to Monday's ceremony. The event will include a wreath-laying and a moment of silence as well as a fly-over by military aircraft.
The nation pauses to honor fallen troops.
The White House said the gathering at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial War would mark the beginning of a 13-year program to honor those who served during the Vietnam War.
San Diego
Republican Mitt Romney was scheduled to appear Monday with Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 GOP nominee, in San Diego, home to a large number of military personnel and veterans. Romney has made the case that too many veterans are returning home to poor job prospects, casting blame on Obama's economic policies.
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Thousands of people are expected to be at the San Diego event on Monday morning, according to NBCSanDiego.com.
Romney's executive director says the GOP presidential hopeful's appearance was not campaign related.
A Bureau of Labor Statistics report in March found that 12.1 percent of U.S. Armed Forces veterans who served on active duty after September 2001 were unemployed in 2011. The unemployment rate for all veterans was 8.3 percent.
Veterans could play a significant role in the 2012 election. Exit polls in 2008 showed that Obama was supported by about 44 percent of voters who said they served in the military, while 54 percent voted for McCain, a former Navy pilot who was a prisoner of war for more than five years during the Vietnam War.
A poll released Monday by Gallup found that 58 percent of veterans support Romney and 34 percent back Obama. The results were based on a sample of 3,327 veterans who are registered voters and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
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