Pence pays tribute to fallen military in Arlington ceremony

The Associated Press

6 years ago

Vice President Mike Pence speaks at a Memorial Day ceremony after placing a wreath in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Monday, May 27, 2019, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Vice President Mike Pence, from left, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Michael Howard and acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan pause during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in observance of Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, 2019, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Vice President Mike Pence, from left, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford pause during a prayer, Monday, May 27, 2019, during a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Vice President Mike Pence, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Michael Howard and Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan pause during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in observance of Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, 2019, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Vice President Mike Pence, from left, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Michael Howard and Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in observance of Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, 2019, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

ARLINGTON, Va. — Vice President Mike Pence has paid tribute to fallen members of the U.S. Armed Forces, thanking their loved ones in a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and acknowledging that for them “every day is Memorial Day.”

Pence placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to remember dead service members whose remains haven’t been identified and observed a moment of silence. He told Gold Star families he was honored by their presence.

Dignitaries attending Monday’s ceremony included Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. and acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan.

President Donald Trump and Melania Trump visited the Arlington, Virginia, cemetery last week and placed flags at several gravesites, a decades-old tradition known as “flags in.” Trump is in Japan , where he’s expected to address troops aboard a battleship.