MELISSA BLOCK, Host:
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BLOCK: There in the 90-degree heat, the president paid tribute to America's fallen. Following Memorial Day tradition, he placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
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BLOCK: There was a 21-gun salute.
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BLOCK: And music by the United States Marine Band.
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BLOCK: President Obama called his role as commander-in-chief his most solemn responsibility. And he said that responsibility carries a special weight on this day.
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BARACK OBAMA: We remember that the blessings we enjoy as Americans came at a dear cost. That our very presence here today as free people in a free society bears testimony to their enduring legacy. Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay.
BLOCK: Of those fallen heroes, the president said, they gave of themselves until they had nothing more to give. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.