Barack Obama awards Joe Biden Presidential Medal of Honour at special White House ceremony
Updated
US President Barack Obama has awarded Vice-President Joe Biden with the highest civilian honour, commemorating an "extraordinary man with an extraordinary career in public service".
A teary-eyed Mr Biden accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a ceremony at the White House on Thursday dedicated to honouring the outgoing Vice-President.
Mr Obama said he was bestowing the honour on Mr Biden for "faith in your fellow Americans, for your love of country and a lifetime of service that will endure through the generations".
It will be the last such award Mr Obama gives before he and Mr Biden leave office on January 20.
"I had no inkling," Mr Biden said after receiving the medal.
"I get a lot of credit I don't deserve."
Mr Biden and Mr Obama became close friends during their time in the White House. Biden was a US Senator from Delaware when Mr Obama chose him to be his running mate in his 2008 presidential campaign.
Mr Biden praised his wife and children for their support throughout his career, and praised the Obama family for their dedication to country and service.
"I just hope that the asterisk in history that is attached to my name when they talk about this presidency is that I can say I was part of the journey of a remarkable man who did remarkable things for this country," Mr Biden said.
Speaking ahead of Mr Biden, Mr Obama said the tribute would give the internet one last chance to joke about the "bromance" the two share.
He called Mr Biden the "best possible choice, not just for me, but for the American people".
Mr Obama commended the "Biden heart," listing the influences in Mr Biden's life, from the nuns who taught him in grade school, to his Senate colleagues, to his parents.
"To know Joe Biden is to know love without pretence, service without self-regard and to live life fully," Mr Obama said.
Noting that Mr Biden's career was "nowhere close to finished," Mr Obama said his Vice President would go on to have an impact in the US and abroad.
Wires
Topics: us-elections, event, government-and-politics, united-states
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