WASHINGTON — Most Memorial Day messages from presidents involve the sort of solemn boilerplate remarks that barely break through the barbecue smoke and picnic chatter. On Monday, President Obama took a decidedly different tack: He noted the end of one war, promised the end of another and sought closure and healing for a third.

Under a scorching Washington sun, Obama addressed families of fallen American troops in recent wars, reminding them that he put an end to U.S. combat in Iraq and put a timeline on the war in Afghanistan. Hours later, he spoke to graying Vietnam war veterans, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the start of that long conflict, offering them the greeting many feel they had never received.

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