Massive parade displays, crowds mark Army's 250th birthday

Masses of Americans cheered for a rousing Army parade on Saturday like none seen in Washington since Operation Desert Storm and the Persian Gulf war in 1991.

On Saturday -- Flag Day -- the U.S. Army turned 250 and President Donald Trump 79. The double birthday bash energized crowds of well-wishers and military families in the capital, even as others protested across the country against the president's immigration policies and use of the military to curb protest violence.

The parade rolled along Constitution Avenue from the Lincoln Memorial toward the White House and Washington Monument in front of about 200,000 attendees.

More than 6,000 soldiers marched in period-by-period uniforms, dating back to the garb of the ragtag Continental Army and the rise of a nation that would become the world’s most potent military power. In the mix: tanks, parachute jumps and flyovers by more than 60 aircraft.

Nearly 500 soldiers from Fort Campbell and the 101st Airborne were included in the ceremonies.

With evening thunderstorms in the forecast, the parade started ahead of schedule. In the first 40 minutes, it sped through more than 200 years of Army history, from 1775 to 1991.

Vietnam-era helicopters, including the Huey, roared overhead, as did World War II-vintage aircraft. Sherman tanks, used extensively in that war’s European theater, rumbled in the procession along with modern machinery. The Army’s Golden Knights parachute team jumped early, releasing streaks of red smoke across the sky and making the crowd scream with excitement as they floated to the ground.

At the festival earlier, attendees sported apparel celebrating both the Army and Trump. Vendors moved through the crowd, selling Trump-themed merchandise, while others offered gear commemorating the Army’s milestone.

Trump addressed the crowd for about eight minutes as he capped the showy parade he had longed for in his first term and, early in his second, finally got.

“There is no earthly force more powerful than the brave heart of the U.S. military or an Army Ranger paratrooper or Green Beret,” he told the crowd. From Bunker Hill to the mountains of Afghanistan, the president said, “the Army has forged a legacy of unmatched courage, untold sacrifice.”

The festivities wrapped up after sunset with a concert at The Ellipse and a huge fireworks display.

Opinions about the parade, a late addition to the Army's birthday activities this week, were as varied as the imagery on display.

In his Trump 2024 shirt, retired American Airlines pilot Larry Stallard happily lived out “one thing on my bucket list” from his perch on the parade route. Stallard, 82, came from Kansas City for the event. He declared Trump “one of the best presidents in my lifetime” and concluded, “It’s been a long day, but it’s worth it.”

In a camouflage jacket and Army baseball hat, Army veteran Aaron Bogner of Culpeper, Virginia, decried how he believes Trump is using the U.S. military to advance a personal agenda. “I think it’s shameful,” Bogner said. “It’s just an engineered birthday party. It’s an excuse to have tanks in your streets like North Korea.”


(AP Photos)