The flipside of Joe Biden’s gaffes, of course, is his ability to pour out his soul. On May 25, 2012, the weekend before Memorial Day, the Vice President spoke in Arlington, Va. at the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors‘ annual seminar for those mourning the deaths of loved ones in the military. In his touching address, Biden related his own experience of losing his daughter and wife in a car accident just weeks after his election to Senate in 1972. “For the first time in my life, I understood how someone could consciously decide to commit suicide,” Biden told attendees. “Not because they were deranged, not because they were nuts, because they’d been to the top of the mountain, and they just knew in their heart they’d never get there again.” He assured the survivors that although the pain of loss would never disappear completely, it would become manageable. “There will come a day, I promise you, and your parents, as well,” he said, “when the thought of your son or daughter or your husband or wife brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye.”
Happy Birthday Mr. Vice President: Our 10 Favorite Joe Biden Moments
As Vice President Joe Biden celebrates his 70th birthday, NewsFeed reflects on the humor and humility of Scranton's favorite son.
The 2012 Memorial Day Speech
Full List
Uncle Joe's High Jinks
- Joe Biden’s High Jinks
- The ‘BFD’
- The Preemptive Gay Marriage Announcement
- The ‘Malarkey’ Debate
- Getting Cozy in A Biker Bar
- The 2012 Memorial Day Speech
- Asking a Wheelchair-Bound Senator to ‘Stand Up’
- ‘Barack America’
- Inviting Firefighters to the White House for a Beer
- His Cameo on Parks and Recreation
- Loving the SNL Parodies of Himself
