Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, gave an early Thanksgiving dinner at their home at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington on Monday night.

Nine wounded warriors graced the dinner hosted by the Vice-President, according to a post on the website of the Department of Defense. The injured troops came from the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps; accompanied by their families, they joined the Bidens for dinner at the dining room of the Observatory.

The Vice President told his guests: “There’s no way of really thanking you all for the incredible sacrifices you’ve made on behalf of your country… This is our humble attempt to say thanks. Our only regret is that we can’t have 10,000 of your comrades here who have made similar sacrifices.”

Five of the wounded warriors were confined to wheelchairs, and a number of them wore prosthesis.

Biden also quoted English poet John Milton, as he addressed the military family members: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” He expressed to the wounded warriors that their families also served the country as they served it, and for that, Biden said: “We owe the families a debt of gratitude.”

The Bidens are no strangers to having a loved one go off the serve. Their son, Beau, is a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard, and was deployed to Iraq in 2008 for almost a year. Dr. Jill Biden welcomed her guests: “It’s really a joy for us to have you here tonight.”

The menu for the dinner included the traditional turkey, as well as pumpkin and pecan pies.