:smile:
http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_obama_snub_medal_of_honor_recipients.html
Obama is the first president since Eisenhower to miss the American Legion's Salute to Heroes ball. A Legion spokesman says it "does not feel offended or 'snubbed,'" and Medal of Honor recipients were invited to the Commander in Chief's ball, which Obama did attend.
It is true that Obama did not attend the Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball, and that his absence broke a 14-inauguration streak. Vice President Joe Biden did attend the ball, showing up around 11:30. American Legion spokesperson Craig Roberts told FactCheck.org that the president, vice president and first lady have all traditionally attended.
The American Legion released two statements on the matter, saying that "The Legion does not feel offended or 'snubbed' by the President’s failure to appear," expressing gratitude for Biden's appearance, and adding that "there are much more important issues to dwell on."
We reproduce both statements here, just as they were e-mailed to us from the Legion:
Original statement from American Legion National Adjutant Dan Wheeler: The American Legion, as it has on every inauguration evening since 1953, hosted the Salute to Heroes Inaugural Banquet & Ball on January 20th . The quadrennial event is co-sponsored by fourteen veterans service and military service organizations and honors recipients of the Medal of Honor. Forty-seven of these heroes attended this year’s event. President Obama was invited but did not attend. Vice-President Joe Biden did appear, however, and was very warmly received. From The American Legion’s point of view, the new President’s absence was understandable considering the unprecedented logistical challenges presented by the vastly increased number of visitors to this inauguration and the necessary attendant security measures. The National Adjutant of The American Legion states that, as an organization, The Legion does not feel offended or “snubbed” by the President’s failure to appear.
Second statement from Mr. Wheeler, Jan. 26, 2009: We extended an invitation as we always do. There are numerous Balls and we know he can’t attend them all. Of course, we would have loved for him to make an appearance, but he didn’t. It’s a logistical nightmare. He did meet with the troops at the Commander In Chief’s Ball, and we are grateful for that. Our Ball wasn’t about the President; it was about the Medal of Honor recipients and the veterans and families who were there. We are grateful that the Vice President appeared, and our guests were very appreciative.
That having been said, there are much more important issues to dwell on, which we intend to do. We look forward to working with the new administration on ensuring full and guaranteed funding for VA health care services, and the very best treatment for our service people who have been wounded, and on the quality of life of all members of the Armed Forces and their families, as well as the maintenance of a national security force that will deter any enemy from considering an attack on America.
We have asked the White House for comment on this matter, and will update this article should we receive a response.
Update:
Shortly after we posted this story, we heard from Josh Earnest of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. He told us that the president only attended the 10 official balls organized by the PIC. (The Salute to Heroes is organized by the American Legion and is unofficial.) But, Earnest told us, "in order to show due respect to the Medal of Honor winners, they were special guests at the Commander in Chief's ball," which the president attended early in the evening. Earnest didn't know how many Medal of Honor recipients accepted the invitation to the Commander in Chief's ball, which is primarily targeted to military personnel, but added that the PIC also subsidized hotel rooms and provided ground transportation for the recipients while they were in DC. We've updated our answer summary accordingly.
