Mourning a loss that touched people from the streets of Delaware to the White House and beyond, President Barack Obama and Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton joined Vice President Joe Biden in bidding farewell Saturday to his eldest son, Beau, who was posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit.
Gen Ray Odierno, the former top US commander in Iraq where Beau Biden once served, announced the award when he spoke on Saturday.
The former Delaware attorney general died last Saturday of brain cancer at age 46. He is survived by his wife Hallie and their son and daughter.
An overflow crowd of 1,000 gathered for the funeral at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church and heard Obama deliver a tearful eulogy.
Leading political figures also were there, including the US Senate majority and minority leaders, Attorney General Loretta Lynch and her predecessor Eric Holder, and other Cabinet officials.
Also paying their respects were mourners from across Delaware and beyond – including Coldplay's Chris Martin – who lined up hours in advance, drawn by their strong bonds to the Biden family.
US President Barack Obama hugged his daughter Sasha during the funeral as his eyes glistened with tears and the First Lady stood by
Beau, 46, the former Delaware Attorney General and an Iraq war veteran, leaves his wife Hallie and two children behind
The president, who was audibly choked-up while he spoke, continued : 'Anyone can make a name for themselves in this reality TV age, but to make that name mean something, to have it associated with dignity and integrity, that is rare.
'It's not something you can buy, but if you do right by your children, maybe you can pass it on. What greater inheritance is there?'
Obama continued: 'He did in 46 years what most of us couldn't do in 146 years. He left nothing in the tank. He made you want to be a better person.'
The president described Beau as very much his father's son.
'His dad taught him that everybody mattered. He even looked and sounded like Joe – although I think Joe would be the first to acknowledge that Beau was an upgrade – Joe 2.0,' Obama said to chuckles from those in the audience.
'But as much as Beau reminded folks of Joe, he was very much his own man. He was an original.'
