United States Commemorates WWI Armistice

November 11, 2008 4:35 p.m. EST

New York, NY (AHN) - U.S. President George W. Bush spent his last Veterans Day as the nation's commander-in-chief at a re-dedication ceremony at the Intrepid Museum in New York. His successor, President-elect Barack Obama, paid tribute to the nation's veterans by laying a wreath at a memorial in his home state.

Bush mingled with veterans on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier that has served as a museum since being decommissioned in 1982. The ceremony on Tuesday was the museum's re-opening after a 19-month, $120-million restoration.

In his brief remarks during the ceremony attended by some of the 55,000 Americans who had served aboard the Intrepid, the President said he had been inspired by his father's service. "Our nation is blessed because our liberties have been defended by brave men and women in the past. And we are blessed to have brave men and women defend our liberties today," he added.

In Chicago, Obama will lay a wreath together with Iraq war veteran and 2006 Democratic Congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth, who has been reported as one of several prominent Illinois Democrats in contention for Obama's seat in the Senate.

Obama said in his Veterans Day statement, "Our veterans are part of an unbroken line of heroes who have defended the American people and stood up for American values - from the beaches of Normandy to the battles in East Asia; from the deserts of Kuwait to the skies above Kosovo; from the cities of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan."

"Since 9/11, a new generation of American heroes has borne a heavy load in facing down the threats of the 21st century, and their families have been asked to bear the painful absence of a loved one. These Americans are the best and bravest among us, and they are all in our thoughts and prayers," he added.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery the same day. He earlier issued a message saying, "As important as it is to publicly recognize the service of our troops returned from the battlefield, it is more important - indeed a sacred obligation - that we make sure they receive the care, benefits, and compensation they've so courageously earned... to take stock of what has been achieved, and to reflect on how much more needs to be done, I have designated November as 'Warrior Care Month.' The Department of Defense has launched a one-stop website at www.warriorcare.mil, where service members and their families will be able to find out about the full range of resources available to them."

Veterans Day, known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day outside the United States, celebrates the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. The Armistice was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.