Inauguration 2021: Photo of Man in Uniform Kneeling by Grave of Beau Biden Goes Viral

During the inauguration of President Joe Biden, a photo of a man in uniform kneeling by the grave of his son Beau Biden went viral, and we now know more behind the heartfelt moment. On Wednesday, Delaware journalist Patricia Talorico shared the image on Twitter, noting how the person kneeling at Beau’s grave did so for a significant amount of time — even through Biden’s inaugural address. While it is unclear what capacity the uniformed stranger serves in the United States, the appearance of his outfit implies he may be a local law-enforcement officer, as he seems to sport a badge.

Beau Biden died in 2015, after suffering from a brain tumor for years. He was 46 years old at the time of his death. During his life, Beau served in the Delaware Army National Guard, eventually reaching the rank of Major. He also served in the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps and was the 44th Attorney General of Delaware. He was survived by his wife and two children, as well as his father, stepmother Dr. Jill Biden, and brother Hunter Biden and his family. Beau’s mother, Neilia Biden, was Joe Biden’s first wife and was killed in a car accident along with the couple’s 13-month-old daughter Naomi, in 1972.

In an article for Delaware Online, Talorico explained why she took the photo of the man at Beau’s grave, sharing a story of how she once met Beau during a frantic and stressful moment, and he showed her incredible kindness.

“Long story short, I was thinking of Beau on Wednesday when I was sent out on assignment to see how or even if Delaware was celebrating this historic presidential moment for our state,” she wrote. “As I drove into Greenville, I thought I would drive by Beau’s grave and say a short prayer outside of St. Joseph on the Brandywine, a Catholic church where I have attended Mass not far from my house.”

Talorico continued, “I saw a lone person in a blue uniform kneeling at Beau’s grave. No one else was around on this cold, windy afternoon except for a few people doing outside work at the cemetery. In my car, I had the radio tuned to CNN. Joe Biden was being sworn in as president and was about to begin his address.” She later explained how she considered trying to find out the identity of the mystery person, but chose not to because “some things in life you just let be.”