President Biden and first lady Jill Biden paid a visit to the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C., early Tuesday morning to mark the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The Bidens spent just over 10 minutes at the memorial. They observed a wreath decorated with sunflowers, the state flower of Kansas, which the White House said was there to honor the late Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.), who died on Sunday. Dole suffered life-threatening injuries while serving in World War II and went on to be a stalwart of the Republican Party.
Jill Biden also placed a bouquet at the memorial’s New Jersey pillar to honor her father, who served in the Navy during World War II, according to a spokesman for the first lady.
The visit, which was unannounced beforehand, came on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. The White House said the president and first lady wanted to “honor the American patriots who died as a result of their service at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.”
The surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 80 years ago killed 2,403 service members and civilians and destroyed numerous U.S. ships and airplanes being housed at the naval base near Honolulu.
The Bidens’ quick trip to the memorial took place shortly before the president was scheduled to hold a video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to warn him against launching a military invasion of Ukraine.