President Biden and first lady Jill Biden met with Coast Guard service members on Thursday during Thanksgiving in Nantucket, Mass.
“What am I thankful for? I’m not joking when I say I’m thankful for these guys,” Biden said, according to CBS News.
“Thankful for them and everybody — I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I’ve been all over the world, I’ve watched these people. I’ve watched them in the South China Sea, I’ve watched them in Afghanistan and Iraq, watching them in South America — wherever they are. People wonder what America is? They look and they see them — that’s who they see. They don’t see us here. They see them. And they make me proud…” the president continued.
The Bidens also held a virtual call with service members representing the six branches of the military, according to the White House.
“Service members and their families sacrifice so much to protect our freedoms and the freedom of others around the globe. While we can never fully repay the debt we owe these heroes, @FLOTUS and I called today to say how thankful we are for all they do,” Biden tweeted on Thursday, including a photo of him and wife speaking to the service members.
The president and first lady also touched on the service of military members and their families in a pre-recorded message tweeted by the president earlier on Thursday.
“While we celebrate together, many of those military families will be apart from their loved ones. Whether your spouse is deployed or you’ve settled into yet another base, the holidays just aren’t the same without the people and the communities that make this holiday special. We are so grateful for your service,” first lady Jill Biden said.
Earlier this week, the president and first lady also served meals to visit troops and their families during a “Friendsgiving” meal at Fort Bragg, N.C.