The Heartbreaking Moment You Missed During Biden's Inauguration
As the nation watched Joe Biden become the 46th president of the U.S., a heartbreaking moment played out miles away in a cemetery in Delaware. There, a lone man in uniform was observed at Beau Biden's grave at the very moment Joe Biden delivered his inaugural address. A photograph taken by Delaware Online writer Patricia Talorico shows the man kneeling by the grave with his head bowed, his hands clasped together. Talorico says the man did not move from his spot and that no one else was in the cemetery (via USA Today).
This lone mourner's identity is unknown; Talorico did not approach out of respect. She captioned the photo: "Poignant moment: While Joe Biden gave his inauguration speech, a lone man in a uniform knelt at the Delaware grave of his son Beau." Was this man sent so that Joe Biden could also be with his beloved son as he achieved his dream of becoming president? Again, not known. However, anyone who knows Joe Biden's story knows how much Beau means to him and how he remains ever-present in his father's life.
Biden on his son, Beau: "We should be introducing him as president"
On May 30, 2015, Beau Biden died of brain cancer; he was 46 years old. He served in Iraq with the Delaware National Guard, and he served as Delaware's 44th attorney general from 2007 until 2015, choosing to not seek reelection for a third term. When he was sworn in, in 2007, he was sworn in with his hand on the same Bible that Joe Biden used in his swearing-in ceremony as president. Beau Biden told supporters in 2014 that he planned to run for governor in 2016, the next step in his political career (via The Associated Press).
Joe Biden said goodbye (for now) to the state of Delaware on Tuesday, Jan. 19, from the Major Joseph R. (Beau) Biden III Armed Forces Reserve Center. The center was named after his eldest son in 2016. In his farewell, the then president-elect said through tears, "And I am even more proud to be standing here doing this from the Major Beau Biden facility. ... I only have one regret. He's not here. Because, we should be introducing him as president" (per NBC News). The following day, as Joe Biden spoke as the nation's president, a man knelt by his late son's grave in silence.