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Who was the police officer kneeling at Beau Biden's grave during inauguration? Internet moved by 'powerful' photo

A person in uniform was spotted kneeling at the grave of Biden’s son Beau at St. Joseph on The Brandywine church on Jan 20 afternoon, around the time when Joe Biden was giving his inauguration speech

A heart-stirring photograph has surfaced recently that has moved America deeply. In the photograph, first published by Delaware News Journal, a uniformed official can be seen silently kneeling at the grave of Beau Biden, the late son of 46th US President Joe Biden. The man was spotted by the photographer on Wednesday, January 20, afternoon around the time when Joe Biden was giving his inauguration speech as the President of the United States. 

Beau, the eldest son of the US President, passed away in 2015 after a prolonged battle with brain cancer. He was a Delaware attorney general from 2006 till his death in 2015 and also a member of Delaware National Guard. Previously, Biden had opened up about how his son’s untimely death affected him. He mentioned it was the main reason he did not consider running for president in 2016, even though Beau had always encouraged him to do so. President Biden always has insisted that his son Beau should have run for president instead of him, had he been alive. 

During his farewell address in home state Delaware, before setting out for Washington DC. Biden delivered an emotional speech, where he teared up while speaking about his late son. “Ladies and gentlemen, I only have one regret. He's not here, because we should be introducing him as president,” he said talking about his son. 
"When I die, Delaware will be written on my heart and the hearts of all of the Bidens," Biden continued. "We love you all, you've been there for us in the good and the bad, you never walked away. And I am proud - proud, proud, proud to be a son of Delaware and I am even more proud to be standing here doing this from the Major Beau Biden facility." 

Biden decided to run for president in 2020 after watching Trump handle the racial violence in Charlottesville in 2017. In the lead up to his election win, supporters often left small accessories from Biden's campaign on Beau's grave in tribute. 

Who was the man at Beau Biden's grave?

In the recently viral photograph, the mourner in a blue uniform seemed to at a lone vigil at the grave at St Joseph on Brandywine Church, located in Greenville, Delaware. Photojournalist Patricia Talorico from Delaware News Journal, who captured the man in frame from a distance, did not approach him out of respect. 

He was seen with his head bowed and his hands clasped in front of Beau’s grave. It is yet unknown whether he was stationed there on official duty, to protect the grave from possible vandalism by violent Trump supporters or he took a decision by himself to guard the grave while Biden took the oath to serve as the President of America. 
 
The man reportedly stayed alone on guard at the grave during the entire 21-minute duration of Biden's address and even after Biden was done with his inaugural presidential speech. There were hardly any other people at the cemetery barring a few maintenance personnel. 

America reacted emotionally to the photograph, as is evident from the reactions on Twitter. "Perhaps someone who served with Beau. Americans know it's well past time to get back in touch with 'the better angels' of our nature and character," one user wrote. "Powerful photo," captioned another user. 

This user could not hold back their emotions. "I have shitty service and the photo hasn’t loaded yet but I’m already cryin reading the caption," they wrote. "If you listen closely, you can hear the soldier whispering: "He did it Beau. He did it. Your Dad has become President after a lifetime of service. And his only regret is that you have to watch it from Heaven," wrote a user.