Bush seeks ‘moment of remembrance’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush asked Americans to pay tribute to veterans by pausing on Memorial Day for “a moment of remembrance.”

Bush had several suggestions for how to honor the sacrifices of those who have fought for the United States — place a flag at a veteran’s grave, go to a battlefield or say a prayer. He said the moment of remembrance would be marked Monday at 3 p.m. local time.

The president said that as people “fire up the grill” and mark the unofficial beginning of summer, they need to honor the sacrifices that make freedom possible.

“No words are adequate to console those who have lost a loved one serving our nation,” Bush said. “We can only offer our prayers and join in their grief. We grieve for the mother who hears the sound of her child’s 21-gun salute. We grieve for the husband or wife who receives a folded flag. We grieve for a young son or daughter who only knows Dad from a photograph.”