President Obama's Table, A Nation's Gratitude Dinner

President and First Lady joined by specially selected guests...
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were seated at different tables during Wednesday night's A Nation's Gratitude Dinner. The 8:20 PM event in the East Room was a tribute to the Armed Forces and marked the end of the war in Iraq. More than 200 guests attended, with 78 service members of all branches and ranks selected to represent the 1.5 million Americans who served during the war. The full guest list. The menu of traditional American favorites is here. (Above: The President at his table with Visaya, left and Lochard)

Joining the President: CW4 Nelson A. Visaya, from Hawaii; Gunnery Sergeant Deverson Lochard from Silver Spring, MD; Petty Officer Third Class (HM3), Max R. Rohn from Longmont, CO; Master Sergeant Jeremy D. Coombs, Master Sergeant Jessica R. Coombs and 1st LT Paul S. Gonzalez.

Mrs. Obama was joined by a Gold Star family: Kim Felts, whose husband Army Colonel Thomas Felts, Sr., was killed in Iraq on Nov. 14, 2006, and their two youngest children, Thomas, Jr., 16, and Rebekah, 19. CLICK HERE for an interview with Kim Felts, at left of the First Lady in the photo above.

In this DoD video, Visaya talks about attending the dinner:



CLICK HERE for links to all posts about the thank you dinner for America's Iraq veterans and military families.

*AP photos; DVIDS video