On Friday (November 11), President Barack Obama, assisted by Sgt.1st Class Chad Eric Wayne Stackpole, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment Sergeant of the Guard, commemorated Veterans Day by visiting Arlington National Cemetery and placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington, Virginia, before paying tribute to the men and women defending our country, many of whom will be coming home in the coming weeks.
“Because of their incredible efforts, we can stand here today and say with confidence the tide of war is receding. In just a few weeks, the long war in Iraq will finally come to an end. Our transition in Afghanistan is moving forward. And my fellow Americans, our troops are coming home.”
President Obama mentioned that while the war in Iraq may be winding down, “the nation we now need to build is our own“. In a video dedication to veterans, he mentioned that the country “has a sacred trust with our veterans — to guarantee you the care and benefits you’ve earned, and the chance to share in the opportunity you defend”. As a result of this, the post-9/11 GI Bill will be fully-funded and other initiatives have been announced to “help our returning heroes”. In his Veterans Day remarks, the president commented that “just as our greatest generation left a country recovering from depression and returned home to build the largest middle class in history, so now will the 9/11 generation play a pivotal role in rebuilding America’s opportunity and prosperity in the 21st century“. View President Obama’s full address below. Continue
On Saturday (Oct. 29), President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and her mother Marian Robinson invited local elementary school students as well as children from the Boys and Girls Club of America and children from military families to a special Halloween party at the White House.
VIDEO: Trick-or-Treat with the President and First Lady
On Sunday (Oct. 16), President Barack Obama dedicated the Martin Luther King Memorial after touring the monument with First Lady Michelle Obama, their daughters, Sasha and Malia, and family members of Dr. King.
The event included speeches from noted individuals including Congressman John Lewis, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, among others. Musical and spoken tributes were also made by Mary Mary, Nikki Giovanni, Aretha Franklin (SEE PERFORMANCE VIDEO BELOW) and more.
“An earthquake and hurricane may have delayed this day, but it was a day not to be denied,” the president said, opening his dedication:
For this day, we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s return to the National Mall. In this place, he will stand for all time, among monuments to those who fathered this nation and those who defended it; a black preacher with no official rank or title who somehow gave voice to our deepest dreams and our most lasting ideals, a man who stirred our conscience and thereby helped make our union more perfect. Continue
After hustlin’ and bustin’ splits on the tennis court, while serving the tennis balls at lightning speed, Serena Williams is making a strong comeback! After suffering from an ankle/foot injury late last year, Serena has been dominating the courts at this year’s U.S. Open.
On Thursday, Serena made the cut for the major tournament’s semi-finals round after a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The next day, the First Lady, Michelle Obama payed a visit to the U.S. Open for the first time with some kids in conjunction with her Let’s Move!campaign against childhood obesity.
After playing a round against Serena Williams, Mrs. Obama addressed the group of young kids at her tennis clinic and admitted her love for tennis even though she may not be the best player:
“I’m not really good or anything like that. That’s the beauty of tennis,” she said. “You don’t have to be good to enjoy it. I love the game, and my skills are very questionable.”
She ended her little talk with the kids by adding that tennis is “a sport you can do forever.” [Source]
“Because of their incredible efforts, we can stand here today and say with confidence the tide of war is receding. In just a few weeks, the long war in Iraq will finally come to an end. Our transition in Afghanistan is moving forward. And my fellow Americans, our troops are coming home.”
“An earthquake and hurricane may have delayed this day, but it was a day not to be denied,” the president said, opening his dedication:
On Thursday, Serena made the cut for the major tournament’s semi-finals round 
