Cheney and Bush said it all when they started their inaugural ball rounds at the “Salute to Heroes” ball back in 1991:

“By tradition,” Cheney told the heroes, “this is always the first event the president and vice president visit before we begin the round of inaugural balls, and that’s for a very good reason.”

It’s “because of the enormous obligation and debt that we have to all of you who served in the U.S. military, veterans as well as the Medal of Honor recipients who are here tonight. On behalf of Lynne and myself, let me thank you for what you’ve done for all of us.”

Bush echoed Cheney’s support for the tradition. “It’s right that it be that way,” the president said. “It makes good sense to start here.

“The inaugural balls are a reflection of the wonderful freedoms we have in America — the free transfer of power that took place today,” he noted. “This is a free land, however, it would not have been free necessarily without the sacrifice of the men and women who have worn our uniform.”

And I totally agree.

/nevertheless, the tone of some of the responses here to those who have respectfully suggested otherwise is a little over the top, IMO.