Michelle Obama makes unannounced trip to Walter Reed Medical Center

Arnaldo da Silva

What a poignant photo! The First Lady stopping by Walter Reed Medical Center on Memorial Day to talk with wounded soldiers and their families. During the unannounced trip, Mrs. Obama visited Joao Silva, a New York Times photojournalist who was injured on assignment in Afghanistan.

From the New York Times:

On Memorial Day, Michelle Obama made an unannounced trip to visit the wounded at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Joao Silva of The New York Times was among those on whom she paid a call. “She came across as a kind and attentive person,” Mr. Silva said. She asked about the progress of his recovery and gave yo-yos, Frisbees and White House candies to his children, Isabel, 6, and Gabriel, 5. Perhaps the most telling moment occurred before Mrs. Obama arrived. On learning of her pending visit, Mr. Silva made a point of putting on his prosthetic legs. “I wanted to be able to greet her standing up,” he said.