Speaking today to the American Legion, President Barack Obama praised what he dubbed the “9/11 generation,” insisting that they had provided an “extraordinary decade of service” in fighting several wars.

Included in those wars mentioned were toppling the Taliban in a matter of weeks, and “racing across the deserts and removing” Saddam Hussein in “less than a month.” He insisted the troops had also “learned the cultures and traditions” of the nations they attacked.

While praising the greatness of the US military and its various wars, President Obama declared that “delivering justice to Osama bin Laden” was one of the “greatest military operations in American history.”

Crashing a helicopter on the front lawn and shooting an unarmed man in his home after years of failed searching may not have the same legend-making ability as, say, the Battle of Yorktown, but it fits into the president’s overall narrative, which is that wars in general are a great unifier and outlet for “service” to the nation, and that the best way to “celebrate” the decade of brutal conflicts that has nearly bankrupted the country is to unite behind him.