By MOAA Staff

President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and VA Secretary Robert Wilkie led a small crowd of invited guests in honoring those who serve and have served Nov. 11 in a rain-soaked, scaled-down Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

The 67th National Veterans Day Observance, which was closed to the public because of coronavirus concerns, featured a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Trump, Pence, and Wilkie joined Maj. Gen. Omar J. Jones, USA, commanding general, Joint Task Force-National Capital Region and U.S. Army Military District of Washington, in front of a sparse, socially distanced crowd.

The quartet stood without umbrellas for the playing of the national anthem, after which Trump approached, touched, and saluted the wreath.

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Prior to the ceremony, the president issued a proclamation marking the holiday, stating the nation’s “precious liberty has survived and thrived because of generations of brave Americans — from every background and walk of life — who have answered the call to support and defend the United States. The gravity of their contribution is immeasurable and so is our debt to every single one of our Nation’s veterans.”

A video replay of the event is available at this link.

Arlington Cemetery is open to the public, though the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Memorial Amphitheater remain off limits. Check the cemetery’s website for updated visitor protocols.