Bidens to join military families at ‘Friendsgiving’ meal in Norfolk By Reuters
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden leave the White House to board Marine One in Washington November 11, 2023. REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades.
By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will join service members and their families on Sunday for a Thanksgiving meal dubbed “Friendsgiving.”
The event will take place at Naval Base Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia.
Biden’s participation in the gathering of friends known as “Friendsgiving” kicks off the holiday week. He will perform the traditional Thanksgiving turkey pardon on Monday, then depart Tuesday for the Atlantic island of Nantucket to spend the Thursday holiday with his family.
He celebrates his 81st birthday on Monday.
While in Norfolk, the Bidens will launch a preview screening with service members and their families of “Wonka,” a new musical fantasy film centered on young Willy Wonka.
Then, they will attend a Friendsgiving dinner with service members and military families associated with the Dwight D. Eisenhower and Gerald R. Ford (NYSE:) aircraft carriers. Both ships are deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean in response to tensions related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The Norfolk event is part of the White House’s Joining Forces initiative, co-hosted by the United Service Organizations (USO (NYSE:)) and the Robert Irvine Foundation.
