Right shoulder. Arms. [band playing] ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the president of the United States, donald j. Trump, and the first lady, melania trump. [band playing] order. [band playing] pres. Trump thank you. I stand before you at this noble fortress of american liberty to pay tribute to the immortal souls who fought and died to keep us free. Earlier today, the first lady and i laid a wreath in their sacred honor at Arlington National cemetery. Now we come together to salute the flag they gave their lives to so boldly and brilliantly defend. And we pledge in their Cherished Memories that this majestic flag will proudly fly forever. We are joined for todays ceremony by secretary of defense, mark esper. Secretary of the interior, david bernhardt. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general mark milley. Congressman, andy harris, and a number of servicemembers and veterans of the armed forces. The dignity and devotion of the American Military is unrivaled anywhere in history and anywhere in the world. In recent months, our nation and the world have been engaged in a new form of battle against an invisible enemy. Once more, the men and women of the United States military have answered the call to duty and raced into danger. Tens of thousands of servicemembers and National Guardsmen are on the front lines of our war against this terrible virus, karen for patients, caring for patients, delivering critical supplies, and working night and day to safeguard our citizens. As one nation, we mourn alongside every Single Family that has lost love ones, including the families of our great veterans. Together, we will vanquish the virus, and america will rise from this crisis to new and greater heights. As our brave warriors have shown us from the nations earliest days, in america, we are the captains of our own fate. No obstacle, no challenge, and no threat is no match for the is a match for the sheer determination of the american people. This towering spirit permeates every inch of the hallowed soil beneath our feet. In this place, more than 200 years ago, american patriots stood their ground and repelled a british invasion in the battle of baltimore during the war of 1812. Early on a september morning in 1814, the british fleet launched an assault on this peninsula. From the harbor, some 30 british warships attacked this stronghold. Rockets rained down, bombs burst in the air, and in the deck of one ship, a Young American was held captive. His name was Francis Scott key. For 25 hours, he watched in dismay as fire crashed down upon this ground. Rain and smoke, in the din of battle, he could make out 15 broad stripes and 15 bright stars barraged and battered, but still there. American forces did not waver, they did not retreat, they stared down the invasion and the hell that they had to endure. They held like nobody could have held before. They held this fort. The british retreated, independence was saved. Francis scott key was so inspired by the site of our flag in that battle that the grounds he fought on became hallowed and he wrote a poem. His ageless words became the anthem of our nation, the starspangled banner. Every time we sing our anthem, every time its rousing chorus swells our hearts with pride, we renew the it kernel bonds of eternal bonds of loyalty to our fallen heroes. We think of the soldiers who spent their final heroic moments on distant battlefields to keep us safe at home. We remember the Young Americans who never got the chance to grow old, but whose legacy will outlive us all. In every generation, these intrepid souls kissed goodbye to their families and loved ones, they took flight in planes, set sail on ships, and marched into battle with our flag fighting for our country, defending our people. When the cause of liberty was in jeopardy, american warriors carried the flag through ice and snow to victory at trenton. They hoisted it up the mast of great battleships in manila bay. They fought through hell to raise it high atop a Remote Island in the Pacific Ocean called iwo jima. From the philippine sea, to fallujah, from new orleans, to normandy, from saratoga, to saipan, from the battle of baltimore, to the battle of the bulge, americans gave their lives to carry that flag through piercing waves, blazing fires, sweltering deserts, and storms of bullets and shrapnel. They climbed atop enemy tanks, jumped out of burning airplanes, and leapt on live grenades. Their love was boundless. Their devotion was without limit. Their courage was beyond measure. Army green beret captain daniel edgars grew up in cape coral florida determined to continue his Family Tradition of military service, and it was a great tradition. She attended the legendary Citadel Military College in south carolina. Soon, he met a beautiful cadet, rebecca, and they fell in love, married, and had two sons. In 2004, daniel left for his second deployment in afghanistan. On the morning of may 29, daniel and his team were courageously pursuing a group of deadly terrorists, when he was killed by an improvised explosive device. This week is the 16th anniversary of the day that daniel made the supreme sacrifice for our nation, he laid down his life to defeat evil and save his fellow citizens. At the time of his death, daniels sons, billy and john, were threeyearsold and fiveyearsold. Today, they have followed in his footsteps, both students at the citadel planning to serve in the military. Their amazing mom, rebecca, has now served more than 23 years in the u. S. Army. Everywhere she goes, she wears daniels goldstar pin on the lapel of her uniform. Colonel Rebecca Edgars and her two sons are here today along with daniels father, bill, and mother, margo. To the entire family, your sacrifice is beyond our ability to comprehend or repay. Today, we honor daniels incredible life and exceptional valor, and we promise you well treasure his blessed memory forever. Thank you very much for being here. Thank you very much. Please. Thank you. [applause] thank you. Great family. Thank you very much. To every goldstar family here today and all across our land, our debt to you is infinite and everlasting. We stand with you today and all days to come, remembering and grieving for americas greatest heroes. In spirit and strength, and loyalty and love, character and courage, they were largerthanlife itself. They were angels sent from above and they are now rejoined with god in the glorious kingdom of heaven. Wherever the stars and stripes fly at our schools, churches, town halls, firehouses, and national monuments, it is made possible because there are extraordinary americans who are willing to brave death so that we can live in freedom and live in peace. In the two centuries since Francis Scott key wrote about the stirring sight of our flag in battle, countless other american patriots have given their own testimony about the meaning of the flag. One was world war ii veteran, jim krebs, from ohio. He and his twin brother fought sidebyside in general Pattons Third Army at the battle of the bulge. The twins volunteered for a dangerous mission. Together, they took out four enemy tanks, two machine gun nests, and a mother position that was powerful and loaded up with mortars. Jims brother, jack, was mortally wounded. Jim held his dying brother in his arms, praying together as his twin passed away. Jim fought to victory and came home to build a Great American life. He married, had children, became an electrical engineer, and taught young people about war. As an old man, jim was asked about the American Flag and what it meant to him. He said, the flag, to me, is as precious as the freedom that the flag stands for. Its as precious to me as the thousands of lives that have been lost defending her. It is that important to me, it gave me a value of life that i could never have gotten any other way. It gave me a value of my lord, my family, my friends, loved ones, and especially, my country. What more could i ask . Last month, jim died peacefully at his home at the age of 94 years old. This afternoon, we are honored to be joined by his grandsons, andy and ron. Please. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. [applause] thank you very much for being here. Today, as we remember the sacrifice of jims brother, jack, we honor jims service, and we are moved by his beautiful words. Andy and ron, thank you for being here to remember your grandfather and his brother and what they did for us all. And most importantly, what they stood for. From generation to generation, heroes like these have poured out their blood, sweat, heart, and tears for our country. Because of them, america is strong, safe, mighty, and free. Because of them, two centuries on, the starspangled banner still proudly waves. For as long as our flag flies in the sky above, the names of these fallen warriors will be woven into its threads, for as long as we have citizens willing to follow their example to carry on their burden, to continue their legacy, that americas cause will never fail, and American Freedom will never die. Today, we honor the heroes we have lost. We pray for the loved ones they left behind. And with god as our witness, we solemnly vow to protect, preserve, and cherish this land they gave their last breath to defend. And to defend so proudly. Thank you. God bless our military. God bless the memory of the fallen. God bless our goldstar families, and God Bless America. Thank you very much. [applause] [instrumental God Bless America plays] [band playing] [applause] [band playing] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] washington journal live every day with news and policy issues that affect you. Tuesday morning, the american conservative kelly discusses the use of technology in tracing those with coronavirus. Catherine, a professor at George Washington universitys school of Public Policy and public administration, on the role of inspectors general. Watch washington journal live at 7 00 eastern tuesday morning. Join the discussion. Next, senators talking about how coronavirus will affect gatherings for memorial day. They thanked those who served. From last week, this is about 40 minutes. Mr. President , i ask unanimous consent to use my military rucksack in my speech. Without objection. Thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , on monday we honor the fallen on memorial day. While we traditionally spend