WASHINGTON — President Obama enjoyed a quiet first Thanksgiving at the White House, telephoning US servicemen and women stationed around the world and spending time in the company of his family and friends.
Obama placed calls from the Oval Office to 10 servicemen and women — two each in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard — stationed in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in the Persian Gulf.
The commander in chief, who spent the past several weeks conducting an intensive review of the US strategy in Afghanistan, called to wish them a happy Thanksgiving and let them know that he and First Lady Michelle Obama were “truly thankful for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the nation,” according to a White House statement yesterday.
Afghanistan, the Senate’s coming debate on health care, climate change, the economy and other issues were likely to remain high on Obama’s agenda during the long weekend. The president was staying in Washington and had no public events scheduled through Sunday.