Obama said in his Memorial Day address that this day was to memorialize patriots who "gave of themselves until they had nothing more to give."
"Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay. But we can honor their sacrifice, and we must. We must honor it in our own lives by holding their memories close to our hearts, and heeding the example they set," he told a crowd at the cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater.
"And we must honor it as a nation by keeping our sacred trust with all who wear America’s uniform, and the families who love them; by never giving up the search for those who’ve gone missing under our country’s flag or are held as prisoners of war; by serving our patriots as well as they serve us – from the moment they enter the military, to the moment they leave it, to the moment they are laid to rest."
The Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia is the final resting place of more than 300,000 Americans, including presidents and a first lady.
In his speech, Obama also invoked scripture as he recently did at the Memorial Service for tornado victims in Joplin, Mo., Sunday.
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The president cited a verse from the Book of Isaiah, which was mailed to him by Gold Star parents. The verse read, "When I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here I am. Send me!’"
"That’s what we memorialize today.(memorial day, memorial, memorial day poems, memorial day quotes, memorial day quote ) That spirit that says, send me, no matter the mission. Send me, no matter the risk. Send me, no matter how great the sacrifice I am called to make," said Obama.
He also told the story of Travis Manion and Lieutenant Brendan Looney, two roommates who became friends while at the Naval Academy. After graduation, Travis was deployed to Iraq while Brendan was sent to Korea.
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