US honours veterans over Memorial Day weekend

The US Marine Corps' chaplain, speaking today to a congregation that has tied gold ribbons on the church's fence in honour of fallen soldiers since the Iraq War began, lauded the sacrifice of veterans around the world as President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan for Memorial Day.
"What they have done has allowed us to be here," Rear Admiral Margaret Kibben told the roughly 200 worshippers at the Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan, including active duty servicemen and women in town for the annual Fleet Week celebration.
Thousands of memorial ribbons are tied on the storied church's fence. There are gold ribbons for service members killed in Afghanistan, green ribbons representing prayers for peace and blue ribbons for the people of Afghanistan.

Memorial Day, she said, was a time to remind ourselves of the meaning of sacrifice and to put personal struggles and difficulties in perspective.
Across the US, citizens were marking Memorial Day with somber ceremonies, flag planting at cemeteries, parades and even barbecues an American pastime that Petty Officer 1st Class Brian McNeal said should be enjoyed this weekend.
"I'm in the service so that they can enjoy that," said McNeal, 39, who is stationed in Suffolk, Virginia, and is in town for Fleet Week. "They made the sacrifice so everyday citizens don't have to worry about the evils of the world."

Obama arrived at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan to speak with troops and visit soldiers being treated at a base hospital. At least 2,181 members of the US military have died during the nearly 13-year Afghan war and thousands more have been wounded.

Yesterday, Democratic congresswoman Tammy Duckworth served as grand marshal of Chicago's Memorial Day Parade and struggled to hold back tears during a wreath-laying ceremony to honour fallen soldiers. She lost her legs and partial use of an arm when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the Black Hawk helicopter she was piloting in Iraq in 2004.
In Massachusetts, Boston Marathon survivor Jeff Bauman and his rescuer, Carlos Arredondo, helped plant tens of thousands of flags yesterday at a cemetery to honour soldiers.

Obama directed all government agencies in the United States to fly their flags at half-staff tomorrow in observance of Memorial Day.