Outgoing president salutes veterans in N.Y. ceremony

NEW YORK -- President Bush saluted the nation's veterans Tuesday as he prepares to hand two ongoing wars over to his successor, saying he'll "miss being the commander in chief of such a fabulous group."

Bush marked his last Veterans Day as president at a New York pier, speaking to a crowd of thousands bundled against the windy November chill for the rededication ceremony of the USS Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

The president praised veterans in the crowd, including those who served aboard the Intrepid in its long history of military action.

"Today we send a clear message to all who have worn the uniform: Thank you for your courage, thank you for your sacrifice, and thank you for standing up when your nation needed you most," said Bush, who will soon turn over to president-elect Barack Obama the responsibility for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama has pledged to remove troops from Iraq and increase troops in Afghanistan.

With a little more than two months until he leaves office, the president teased lawmakers in attendance about the upcoming lame-duck legislative session, and joked that one thing he won't miss as president is New York City traffic jams.

Then he grew serious.

"I will miss being the commander in chief of such a fabulous group of men and women, those who wear the uniform of the United States military," Bush said.

Closer to the White House, Vice President Dick Cheney marked Veterans Day by solemnly placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

Cheney then offered a glowing tribute to the U.S. armed forces: "No single military power in history has done greater good, shown greater courage, liberated more people or upheld higher standards of decency and valor."

Obama also honored fallen troops Tuesday by placing a wreath at a memorial and making a Veterans Day pledge to the many Americans who have served in the military.

"Let us rededicate ourselves to keep a sacred trust with all who have worn the uniform of the United States of America: that America will serve you as well as you have served your country," Obama said in a statement. "As your next commander in chief, I promise to work every single day to keep that sacred trust with all who have served."