Biden tells 82nd Airborne Division members to ‘don’t jump’, says Declaration of Independence ‘sounds corny’ shows Bo called himself Hunter in Iraq to hide his name
- President Joe Biden spoke about his late son Beau when he visited US troops stationed in Poland during his speech, thanking them for their service.
- He revealed that his son Beau went by the last name “Hunter” during his time in Iraq because it was inconvenient to use “Biden”.
- Biden also ate pizza and took selfies with military personnel.
- He delivered a parting word to the soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division.
President Joe Biden referred to his late son Beau when he visited US troops stationed in Poland during his speech, thanking them for their service.
Biden recalled that when he traveled to Iraq in 2009 to visit Beau, who was there as part of his service in the Delaware National Guard, he discovered that his son was using the surname Hunter.
Biden said, asked what was going on. Bo told his father that the name “Biden” could be a problem where he was, and so he was called “Hunter” instead.
Hunter is the maiden name of Bo’s mother, who died in a car accident in 1972. It is also the name of his younger brother, President Hunter’s only living son.
Biden regularly mentions his late son when he visits military personnel. And Thursday’s trip to visit the 82nd Airborne Division, which he deployed to Europe during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was no exception.
President Joe Biden spoke about his late son Beau when he visited US troops stationed in Poland during his speech, thanking them for their service.
Biden often talks about his late son Beau when he visits military personnel – above when Vice President Joe Biden visits his son Beau in Iraq in 2009.
President Biden delivered a pep talk to members of the 82nd Airborne Division.
During his visit, the president ate pizza and took selfies.
“You are the best fighting force in the world, and that’s no exaggeration,” Biden said before sitting down in a folding chair and eating.
“Don’t stop eating because of me,” he said as he entered the dining room and saw the paratroopers munching on a pie provided by the White House.
Biden also visited a barbershop, where one of the employees suggested that perhaps Biden should finish the haircut. Biden laughed and said that was the last thing a young man would want.
And he joked with a unit specializing in parachute operations.
“Do not jump. You guys are used to jumping. Do not jump. Anyway, thanks for letting me come and say hello to all of you,” he said in a hall full of military personnel.
He praised them for their duty, saying that they stand up for the values enshrined in the American Declaration of Independence.
“You know, we are a unique country in many ways. And we are the only country, the only country in the world, that is not organized by geographic, ethnic, racial or whatever. We are based on an idea. We take these truths as self-evident, that all women and men are created equal. Sounds corny, it’s the truth about who we are,” he said.
And the president praised them for being an example to the rest of the world during his pep talk.
“We have never lived before, but we have never left it. The rest of the world is looking at us because you know that we are not only setting an example of our strength, but also by the strength of our example. Your generation is a combination of both. The rest of the world looks at you and sees who you are, and they see that you are a multi-ethnic group of Americans united by the same determination to defend their country and help those in need. That is why you are here,” he said.
He met with troops “who have been deployed to Poland to appease our NATO ally and deter further aggression on the eastern flank,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters en route to Poland.
The president enjoyed a slice of pepperoni and jalapeno pizza when he met with the troops. The jalapenos made his eyes water, so he dabbed them with a tissue and someone brought him a glass of water.
Biden ate pizza and took a selfie with the 82nd Airborne Division stationed in Rzeszow during Russia’s brutal invasion and thanked the 100,000 US military personnel stationed throughout the rest of Europe.
President Joe Biden landed in Poland on Friday to meet with US troops and visit Ukrainian refugees at the border as the White House warned it was working on “contingency” plans if Vladimir Putin attacked NATO allies.
He may announce a permanent increase in troop levels in Eastern Europe, according to NBC.
Poland is the second stop on Biden’s four-day trip to Europe. On Thursday, he held a meeting in Brussels with world leaders on the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Biden is scheduled to have a separate meeting with the Polish president and Ukrainian refugees on Saturday before he returns to Washington.