President Barack Obama will now attend a dedication ceremony next month for a new memorial honoring disabled American veterans, a major reversal in course that comes several weeks after the Washington Free Beacon first reported on the president’s initial decision to decline attending the event.
The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial (AVDLM), the first such memorial of its kind, is set to be dedicated during a ceremony on Oct. 5 near the National Mall in downtown Washington, D.C.
White House officials notified event organizers earlier this month that Obama would not be able to attend the dedication. Obama would have been among the first U.S. presidents in recent history not to formally dedicate a major D.C. memorial in person.
However, the White House said on Tuesday that Obama would now attend the October ceremony in person.
"On Sunday, October 5, the president will deliver remarks at the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial dedication ceremony in Washington, D.C.," a White House official informed the Free Beacon. "Further details about the president’s remarks will be made available in the coming days."
AVDLM organizers were initially surprised to learn earlier this month that Obama would not attend and had requested an explanation for the decision from the White House.
"It’s disappointing that the president is unable to celebrate the dedication of this historic memorial with the heroes that it honors—our nation’s disabled veterans," a source involved with the memorial told the Free Beacon at the time.