Brittany Horn

The News Journal

Vice President Joe Biden will spend part of Memorial Day in Delaware on Monday at the renaming of the Delaware National Guard Headquarters in honor of his late son, Beau Biden.

The renaming, which was announced in the fall, will take place at 2 p.m. Monday at the National Guard Headquarters on Airport Road near New Castle. Biden and family members are expected to attend the announcement in honor of Beau, a two-term attorney general who served in Iraq with the Delaware Army National Guard.

New signage will read: “Major Joseph R. 'Beau' Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center.”

“Nothing made Beau more proud than putting on his uniform and reporting for duty,” said Hallie Biden, Beau’s widow. “He adored his brothers and sisters in the Delaware National Guard and what they represented in our state. The men and women who walk through the doors of this building are the finest we have – we’re honored that he will forever be associated with them.”

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Beau, who died of brain cancer in May, joined the Delaware Army National Guard in 2003 and served as a Judge Advocate General. He later deployed to Iraq in 2008 for a year with the 261st Theater Tactical Signal Brigade, where he earned the Bronze Star. In 2011, he was promoted to Major.

“Like his father, Beau dedicated his life to serving the citizens of his state and country,” said Major General Frank Vavala, adjutant general for the Delaware National Guard. “Major Biden’s exemplary commitment embodied the citizen-soldier concept and we could not think of anyone more deserving or worthy of having his name on this state of the art building occupied by the men and women of our military.”

The 106,000-square-foot facility near New Castle houses the Army and Air National Guard Headquarters, as well as a the local U.S. Navy Reserve.

Contact Brittany Horn at (302) 324-2771 or bhorn@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @brittanyhorn.