President Obama traveled to Fort Bragg, North Carolina on Wednesday — home of the Airborne and Special Operations Forces — to salute the service of the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Marines who fought in Iraq and helped to bring the war to an end.
“As your commander in chief, and on behalf of a grateful nation, I’m proud to finally say these two words,” he said, “Welcome home.”
He told the crowd assembled in a hanger on base:
It’s harder to end a war than begin one. Indeed, everything that American troops have done in Iraq -– all the fighting and all the dying, the bleeding and the building, and the training and the partnering -– all of it has led to this moment of success. Now, Iraq is not a perfect place. It has many challenges ahead. But we’re leaving behind a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq, with a representative government that was elected by its people. We’re building a new partnership between our nations. And we are ending a war not with a final battle, but with a final march toward home.
More than 1.5 million American troops served in Iraq — including many from Ft. Bragg who conducted multiple tours of duty. And the President said that we’ll continue to honor their service now that the war is over:
Part of ending a war responsibly is standing by those who fought it. It’s not enough to honor you with words. Words are cheap. We must do it with deeds. You stood up for America; America needs to stand up for you. That’s why, as your Commander-in Chief, I am committed to making sure that you get the care and the benefits and the opportunities that you’ve earned.
Read the full remarks here.
AAA is forecasting a slight increase – 1.4 percent – in the number of Americans who will travel 50 miles or more from home during the upcoming holiday season. It projects that 91.9 million Americans will travel for the holidays, compared to 90.7 million last year. This is the second highest number in the past decade and represents 30 percent of the total U.S. population. Most travelers will drive – 91 percent or 83.6 million people. Six percent will drive and their number, 5.4 million, is down 9.7 percent from last year. Train, bus and other modes of travel will increase 4.2 percent.
The largest exhibition of Rembrandt paintings under one roof ever in the U.S. is on track to exceed already high expectations. More than 50,000 visitors have attended the exhibit at the N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh in the past six weeks. “Rembrandt in America” is the first major exhibition to explore in depth the collecting history of Rembrandt paintings in America. Consisting of nearly 50 paintings, the exhibition brings together 27 autographed paintings by Rembrandt as well as others thought to be by the master when they entered American collections but whose attributions can no longer be maintained. The N.C. Museum of Art is the only East Coast venue for this show, which runs until Jan. 22.
The soaring 34-foot main banquet hall Christmas tree at Biltmore Estate in Asheville got the national TV spotlight this past Saturday on the TLC cable network’s “Extreme Christmas Trees.” The program looked at the process of hauling the fraser fir into the house and decorating it with 500 lights and 500 packages. The “Extreme Christmas Trees” special also featured other yule trees around the world.
Welcome to the Thursday Lines!