Military Ceremonies and Dignitaries

Photos highlight military and political ceremonies featuring dignitaries giving speeches, honoring veterans, and commemorating events, showcasing respect and memorials.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley speaks during the 21st 9/11 Pentagon Observance Ceremony on Sept. 11, 2022, at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexander Kubitza)

060529-N-2383B-119. Base: Arlington National Cemetary State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Retired Gen. Alfred M. Gray, the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps, gives closing remarks during the 39th Beirut Memorial Observance Ceremony at Lejeune Memorial Gardens in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Oct. 23, 2022. The memorial observance is held annually on Oct. 23 to remember the lives lost due to the terrorist attacks at U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon and Grenada.

2006 Korean War Veterans Armistice Day Ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C., with Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joining Vice President Dick Cheney and South Koreaa's Ambassador to the U.S., Lee Tae-Sik, among the dignitaries participating

020911-F-7466S-109. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Pentagon State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

WASHINGTON (Feb. 29, 2016) President Barack Obama delivers remarks during a Medal of Honor ceremony for Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Edward C. Byers Jr. Monday, Feb. 29, 2016 at the White House. Byers received the Medal of Honor for his actions during a hostage rescue operation in Afghanistan in December 2012.

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall offers opening remarks during a Juneteenth Celebration at the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., June 21, 2022. Hundreds of Department of Defense personnel and service members attended the ceremony, which was the first official Juneteenth event held in the Pentagon since the holiday became federally recognized in 2021.

020216-F-9311L-010. Base: Elmendorf Air Force Base State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley speaks during the 21st 9/11 Pentagon Observance Ceremony on Sept. 11, 2022, at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexander Kubitza)

2006 Korean War Veterans Armistice Day Ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C., with Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joining Vice President Dick Cheney and South Koreaa's Ambassador to the U.S., Lee Tae-Sik, among the dignitaries participating

2006 Korean War Veterans Armistice Day Ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C., with Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joining Vice President Dick Cheney and South Koreaa's Ambassador to the U.S., Lee Tae-Sik, among the dignitaries participating

930114-D-9880W-285. Base: Fort Myer State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

President Bush holds press conference to defend stance on Iraq

20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley speaks during the 154th National Memorial Day Observance in the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., May 30, 2022.

President Bush holds press conference to defend stance on Iraq

020927-F-4219L-003. Base: Cambridge State: Cambridgeshire Country: England / Great Britain (ENG)

Television news anchor Tom Brokaw speaking at ceremonies at the War Correspondents Memorial, Burkittsville, Maryland, featuring unveiling of plaque honoring four prominent journalists killed during war and war-related coverage in Iraq and Pakistan

President Bush holds press conference to defend stance on Iraq

020911-F-7466S-104. Base: Pentagon State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Baltimore Mayor William D. Schaefer speaks during the commissioning ceremony for the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS BALTIMORE (SSN-704). Base: Naval Submarine Base, Groton State: Connecticut (CT) Country: United States Of America (USA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 11, 2011) Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, left, President Barack Obama and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, render honors during the playing the National Anthem during a ceremony commemorating the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon.

Vice President Dan Quayle addresses the crowd gathered at the memorial services for Marine COL William R. Higgins. COL Higgins was killed by terrorists after being taken hostage while serving with the United Nations Truce and Observer Force in Beirut, Lebanon. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

2006 Korean War Veterans Armistice Day Ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C., with Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joining Vice President Dick Cheney and South Koreaa's Ambassador to the U.S., Lee Tae-Sik, among the dignitaries participating

2006 Korean War Veterans Armistice Day Ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C., with Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joining Vice President Dick Cheney and South Koreaa's Ambassador to the U.S., Lee Tae-Sik, among the dignitaries participating

Secretary Gale Norton speaking at ceremonies at the War Correspondents Memorial, Burkittsville, Maryland, featuring unveiling of plaque honoring fourprominent journalists killed during war and war-related coverage in Iraq and Pakistan

National Park Service Director Fran Mainella at events marking the centennial of the first powered flight, Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

DN-ST-90-01456. Base: Groton State: Connecticut (CT) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Soldiers from across the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) assist in celebrating President George Washingtons Birthday at Mount Vernon, Va. on Feb. 19, 2024. Later that day, the Fife and Drum Corps marched during the 2024 George Washington Birthday Parade in Alexandria, Va. Army

Office of the Secretary - Secretary Elaine Chao's USS Steel West Coast Trip Weekend of 8/20/2001

Senators Clinton and Bayh, Congressman McHugh, speak about a recent trip to Iraq and Afghanistan

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III speaks during the 21st 9/11 Pentagon Observance Ceremony on Sept. 11, 2022, at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

010804-A-9057C-025. Base: Fort Hood State: Texas (TX) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: FORSCOM

U.S. Air Force military working dog JoJo receives his last roll call during his retirement ceremony at Creech Air Force, Nevada, Aug. 3, 2022. Military working dogs are trained to detect explosives and drugs, deter threats and protect their handlers.

Presentation of the 1962 Collier Trophy to astronauts Lt. Cdr. M. Scott Carpenter, US Navy (USN); Major L. Gordon Cooper, US Air Force (USAF); Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr., US Marine Corps (USMC); Major Virgil I. Grissom, USAF; Cdr. Walter M. Schirra, Jr., USN; Cdr. Alan B Shepard, Jr., USN; and Major Donald K. Slayton, USAF, 11:30AM. President John F. Kennedy (at microphones) delivers remarks prior to presenting the 1962 Robert J. Collier Trophy to astronauts Lieutenant Commander M. Scott Carpenter, Major L. Gordon Cooper, Lieutenant Colonel John H. Glenn, Jr., Major Virgil I. Gus Grissom, Commander Walter M. Schirra, Commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr., and Major Donald K. Deke Slayton. Standing right of the trophy, first row (L-R): Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Dr. James E. Webb; President of the National Aeronautic Association, Martin M. Decker; President Kennedy; and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. Second row (L-R): Secretary of the Air For

050902-F-6911G-177. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DN-ST-85-06224. Base: Seattle State: Washington (WA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

President Bush speaks on the global war on terror, one week from the 3-year anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq

020105-F-5035E-085. Base: Portland Air National Guard Base State: Oregon (OR) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: ANG/ACC

2006 Korean War Veterans Armistice Day Ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C., with Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joining Vice President Dick Cheney and South Koreaa's Ambassador to the U.S., Lee Tae-Sik, among the dignitaries participating

President Barack Obama addresses the nation from Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, May 1, 2012. (BSLOC_2015_3_14)

050420-N-0000A-004. Complete Scene Caption: US President George W. Bush delivers remarks during the presentation of the Commander-In-CHIEF's Trophy to members of the US Naval Academy (USNA) football team in a ceremony at the White House Rose Garden. President Bush congratulated the team for winning the Commander-In-CHIEF's trophy for the second year in a row. At the podium with President Bush are: US Navy (USN) Vice Admiral (VADM) Rodney P. Rempt (left), US Naval Academy superintendent, and Head Football Coach Paul Johnson (right). The trophy goes each year to the team with the best record in games between the three service academies. Navy finished the year with a school-record tying 10 victories, marking the first time in 99 years that Navy has won 10 football games in a single season. Navy beat Air Force 24-21 and Army 34-6. Base: White House State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DN-ST-89-02005. Country: Unknown

Secretary Gale Norton at events marking the centennial of the first powered flight, Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

President William Jefferson Clinton addresses over ten thousand service members stationed in Okinawa, Japan. The president is visiting Japan as part of a multinational summit involving the eight leading industrialized nations. State: Okinawa Country: Japan (JPN)

061020-D-2987S-049. Base: Pentagon State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby holds a press briefing, at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., May 20, 2022. (DoD photo by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Taryn Sammet)

Senators Clinton and Bayh, Congressman McHugh, speak about a recent trip to Iraq and Afghanistan

NEW YORK (Oct 6, 2012) Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Ray Mabus, looks on as Boatwains Mate 1st Class Justin Boon pipes the order to man the ship during the commissioning ceremony for guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112). Lt. (SEAL) Michael P. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in combat as leader of a four-man reconnaissance team in Afghanistan. Murphy was the first person to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan and the first member of the U.S. Navy to receive the award since the Vietnam War.

040727-M-5112R-270. Base: Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Office of the Secretary - Secretary Elaine Chao's USS Steel West Coast Trip Weekend of 8/20/2001

Coast Guard Station Vallejo held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new search and rescue facility in Vallejo Municipal Marina, Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. The unit consists of 27 personnel and three 29-foot Response Boat-Smalls and is responsible for search and rescue and law enforcement missions. The unit's area of responsibility extends from San Pablo Bay to Suisun Bay and as far east as Simmons Point.

DF-ST-86-03871. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Local officals greet President William Jefferson Clinton upon his arrival to Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota. He is scheduled to fly with the Marines in a helicopter to view the flooded city of Grand Forks. Base: Grand Forks Air Force Base State: North Dakota (ND) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to Yorktown, Virginia to deliver the keynote address at the 225th anniversary celebration of the Battle of Yorktown. Among other dignitaries on hand for the commemorative events were Virginia Senators John Warner and George Allen, former U.S. Army Secretary John Marsh, French Ambassador to the U.S. Jean-David Levitte, and French Defense Minister Michelle Alliot-Marie.

060331-A-5399B-425. Base: Fort Hood State: Texas (TX) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: NORTHEAST

040205-M-2067M-061. Base: Charleston State: South Carolina (SC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Vice President J. Danforth Quayle speaks at a support rally for U.S. military personnel taking part in Operation Desert Storm. LT. GEN. Richard G. Graves, commanding general, III Corps, is seated behind Quayle. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT STORM Base: Fort Hood State: Texas(TX) Country: United States Of America(USA)

031118-F-2828D-033. Base: Camp Casey Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)

The major of Goeppingen addresses the crowd of civilians and military personnel assembled for a farewell ceremony in honor of the U.S. Army's 1ST Infantry Division. The division is being deactivated in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm.. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT STORM Base: Goeppingen Country: Deutschland / Germany(DEU)

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he participated in ceremonies commemorating the 144th anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, conversed with National Park Service staff and visitors, and toured the Park, including the construction site for the new Visitors Center

Senator Barack Obama introduces the 'Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act of 2007

030317-F-1698N-009. Base: Lajes Field Country: Azores (AZR)

2006 Korean War Veterans Armistice Day Ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C., with Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joining Vice President Dick Cheney and South Koreaa's Ambassador to the U.S., Lee Tae-Sik, among the dignitaries participating

060827-F-0193C-031. Base: Fairbanks State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DN-ST-86-05270. Base: Naval Station, Long Beach State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

031124-F-2828D-149. Base: Pentagon State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Gerald St. Pe', president, Ingalls Shipbuilding, speaks during the commissioning of the guided missile cruiser USS VALLEY FORGE (CG-50). Base: Pascagoula State: Mississippi (MS) Country: United States Of America (USA)

President Barack Obama delivers an address to the nation from the Oval Office on the end of combat mission in Iraq, Aug. 31, 2010

President George W. Bush Visit - 26-HK-6-274. POTUS walking on ATC ramp with CAPT David Callahan (CO ATC Mobile) and others-- date stamped 9 2 2005. Hurricane Katrina

Senators Clinton and Bayh, Congressman McHugh, speak about a recent trip to Iraq and Afghanistan

Family members and next-of-kin listen to organ music playing during Army Private First Class Robert L. Alexander's conduct full military honors funeral, in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Nov. 14, 2022.Alexander was killed during World War II and was accounted for on June 21, 2022.In July 1944, Alexander was a member of the 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division, fighting the Japanese on Saipan in the Mariana Islands. Alexander was killed July 7 when the Japanese general on Saipan ordered his forces into a mass suicide, or banzai,” attack against the 105th's lines.Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in the Pacific Theater. They searched for and disinterred remains on Saipan, but could not identify any as Alexander. He was declared non-recoverable in September 1949.Remains, designated as Unknown X-27 27th Infantry Division Cemetery, wer

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to Yorktown, Virginia to deliver the keynote address at the 225th anniversary celebration of the Battle of Yorktown. Among other dignitaries on hand for the commemorative events were Virginia Senators John Warner and George Allen, former U.S. Army Secretary John Marsh, French Ambassador to the U.S. Jean-David Levitte, and French Defense Minister Michelle Alliot-Marie.

051021-F-5586B-251. Base: Yongsan Garrison State: Seoul National Capital Area Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to Yorktown, Virginia to deliver the keynote address at the 225th anniversary celebration of the Battle of Yorktown. Among other dignitaries on hand for the commemorative events were Virginia Senators John Warner and George Allen, former U.S. Army Secretary John Marsh, French Ambassador to the U.S. Jean-David Levitte, and French Defense Minister Michelle Alliot-Marie.

A distinguished guest speaks at the launching ceremony for the nuclear-powered attack submarine HONOLULU (SSN-718). Base: Newport News State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

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