Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton Pay Tribute to Richard Holbrooke at Memorial

World leaders gathered at Washington's Kennedy Center Friday to honor the legacy of Richard Holbrooke, a legendary figure in the world of foreign policy and a forceful diplomat who brokered peace in Vietnam and Bosnia.

Among those attending the ceremony were President Obama, President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton.

Holbrooke had been serving as the Obama administration's Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan when he suddenly took ill last month after a meeting at the White House. He died several days later.

The memorial was Obama's second of the week and his remarks, sober-minded and serious, stood in contrast to many of the more personal -- and upbeat -- anecdotes recounted by Holbrooke relatives and confidantes, including former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen.

"Richard possessed a hard-headed, clear-eyed realism about how the world works. He was not naïve. But he also believed that America has a unique responsibility in the course of human events," Obama said, recalling Holbrooke's impressive diplomatic resume, including efforts to bring peace to trouble spots and his service as ambassador to the United Nations.

Announcing a new diplomatic prize named in Holbrooke's honor, Obama said that "Richard bore the burden to assure the survival and success of liberty. He made a difference. Let us now carry that work forward in our time." According to a White House press release, the prize will "recognize up to 5 distinguished Americans who have made especially meritorious contributions to diplomacy," as selected by the president and secretary of state.

With attendees that ran the gamut from Hollywood heavy hitters (Robert DeNiro) to power brokers (Henry Kissinger). the memorial was not short of epic anecdotes. Secretary Clinton recalled Holbrooke's tenacity, saying, "Richard once followed me into a ladies room to make point. In Pakistan!" Kofi Annan spoke to his combativeness, saying, "Richard was the American who came in peace, however well disguised it may have been."

While each of the featured speakers noted Holbrooke's legendary brassiness and his tendency to cajole and pontificate until his point was made, they also cited his softer side. Samantha Power, a Holbrooke protege currently serving as a National Security Council Adviser, said Holbrooke "taught us that love and loyalty are the foundation of all else." She also recounted the scene in the ambulance as he was taken to the hospital with a torn aorta.

"As he rode to to the hospital, he kept saying over and over again, there are so many people I love. There are so many people I love."