President Joe Biden invoked the memory of his late son Beau Biden Wednesday while declaring the Camp Hale Continental Divide a national monument but said the former Delaware attorney general and military reservist "lost his life in Iraq."
Prior to his death, Biden's eldest son served as a reservist in the Delaware Army National Guard and was awarded a Bronze Star for his service in Iraq. Beau died in 2015 following a battle with aggressive brain cancer believed to have been caused by exposure to toxic burn pits while serving overseas.
Biden, speaking in Colorado, highlighted the role that Camp Hale played in training the famed 10th Mountain Division ahead of World War II.
"American soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division scaled that 1800-foot cliff, at night, caught the Germans by surprise, captured key positions, and broke through the Germans' defensive line at a pivotal point in the war," the president stated before mentioning Beau. "Just imagine - I mean it sincerely - I say this as a father of a man who won the Bronze Star, the conspicuous service medal, and lost his life in Iraq. Imagine the courage, the daring, and the genuine sacrifice - genuine sacrifice they all made."