President Biden and first lady Jill Biden joined service members in Cherry Point, North Carolina, on Monday for an early Thanksgiving celebration to thank troops and their families for their service.
The Bidens expressed gratitude for the families who support their servicemembers while deployed and recalled holidays spent without their late son Beau Biden while he was deployed abroad as an officer with the Delaware National Guard.
In addition to thanking the men and women in uniform, the president extended praise to the family and friends who support them while they are away from home.
“I want to thank the spouses as well because they put up with an awful lot because of your service,” he said.
“Every single day they worry about you, every single moment,” he said. “We owe them a big debt of gratitude.”
After their remarks, Mr. Biden served the Thanksgiving meal alongside Mrs. Biden.
The visit marked a continuation of a longstanding tradition of commanders-in-chief celebrating the holiday with troops and offering thanks for their service.
Earlier Monday, Mr. Biden carried on the White House tradition of granting pardons to turkeys at a festive White House ceremony.
This year, Mr. Biden granted clemency to Chocolate and Chip, two turkeys from Monroe, North Carolina.
The president and first lady are scheduled to travel to Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Tuesday where they will remain through the holiday week.
