WASHINGTON -- Paying tribute to dead soldiers and their families, President Obama said Monday that the nation had reached a "milestone" of relative peace, noting the end of the Iraq war and plans to end America's role in the Afghan war.

"After a decade under a dark cloud of war we can see the light of a new day on the horizon," Obama told a crowd of military families gathered at Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate Memorial Day.




Obama was slated for a full day of Memorial Day ceremonies. From the cemetery, he was headed to the Vietnam War Memorial for a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the beginning of that war.

In his remarks, the president connected that conflict to the current one, honoring soldiers who stepped forward to serve "from the jungles of Vietnam to the mountains of Afghanistan."

"They fought for a home they would never return to. They fought for buddies they would never forget," Obama said. "They rest here side by side, row by row because each of them loved this country and what it stands for more than life itself."

But the president focused his tribute on the fallen in the Iraq war, a conflict he opposed as he ran for office and declared ended in December.




"As commander in chief, I can tell you that sending our troops into harm's way is the most wrenching decision that I have to make. I can promise you I will never do so unless it's absolutely necessary," Obama said. "And that when we do we must give our troops a clear mission and the full support of a grateful nation."