Trump honored soldiers’ sacrifice and valor in remarks after a parade featuring thousands of soldiers, dozens of tanks, and flyovers.
WASHINGTON—Soldiers and tanks were on display in a parade celebrating the Army’s 250th anniversary in the nation’s capital on June 14.
President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and other U.S. officials watched the parade, which featured thousands of soldiers, dozens of tanks, and flyovers from planes and helicopters—all representing periods of the Army’s history from the Revolutionary War to the present day.
The parade, which started early due to severe weather forecast later in the evening, lasted nearly two hours. The rain ultimately held out during the celebration. The parade concluded with Trump administering the oath of enlistment to new and re-enlisting soldiers
“The Army keeps us free,” Trump, whose birthday is also June 14, said in a speech from the viewing stand. “You make us strong, and tonight, you have made all Americans very proud.”
“Watching this magnificent display, our souls are filled with gratitude for every generation of warriors who have worn the uniform all the way back to the beginning,” he said.
Lee Greenwood then performed “I’m Proud to Be an American” before a fireworks display concluded the night.
The festivities were held as tens of thousands of people have been rallying in other cities across the country in “No Kings” protests against the Trump administration’s policies.
Thousands of spectators lined the National Mall to see the parade.
Parade Sections Honor Army Through the Eras
About 6,600 soldiers marched in the parade, wearing uniforms and presenting equipment reflecting the distinct conflicts and periods of the Army’s history, starting with the Revolutionary War and including World War II, Vietnam, and continuing up to the present day.
The parade also featured around 150 military vehicles, including dozens of tanks and other heavy armored vehicles.
One of the first groups in the parade commemorated the U.S. Army’s role in World War I.
The 150 soldiers in World War I-era Army fatigues come from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, part of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division—known as the “All American Division.”
Also representing World War I was the 42nd Infantry Division, otherwise known as “The Rainbow Division.” The name is based on a comment from then-Col. Douglas MacArthur that the hometowns of soldiers in the division “stretched across America coast-to-coast like a rainbow.”
It was formed in 1917 with National Guardsmen from 26 states. The unit still wears a red, yellow, and blue patch in commemoration of its origins.
Multiple aircraft—including World War II-era planes and Vietnam-era helicopters—did flyovers over the parade route. The Army Golden Knights parachute team sailed through the sky, dropping near the Ellipse.
Tanks, including the World War II-era Sherman tank and the Gulf War-era M1-Abrams tank, also rolled through the streets of Washington.
John Griffith, a U.S. Army veteran of the 101st Airborne Division who served two tours, including deployments in Korea, said the celebration parade meant a lot to him.
“I’m here to support those who are currently serving and those who have gone before me. It gives me an opportunity to celebrate that and to celebrate the Army’s birthday,” Griffith told The Epoch Times.
The soundtrack for the parade included standard military marches interspersed with some 70s and 80s rock anthems without lyrics.
People of all ages could be seen sporting Army t-shirts and hats, with veterans’ hats identifying the units in which they served and information about their combat deployments.
Some at the event wore “Make America Great Again” and other Trump-themed merchandise.
The Army began the day with a birthday wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
While the parade was billed as a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Army’s formation on June 14, 1775, the event also coincides with Flag Day.
The president sought a military parade during his first term but faced criticisms. In 2018, a plan emerged to commemorate Veterans Day and the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I with a military parade, but the idea fell through as cost estimates for the event rose as high as $92 million.
The Army has estimated its Saturday event could cost $25 million to $45 million.
While not as costly as the scrapped 2018 plan, this event still had its skeptics. Democrats questioned the price tag and suggested that the spectacle was merely meant as a self-aggrandizing event for the president’s birthday.
‘No Kings’ Protests
This parade comes amid a growing protest movement that began last week in opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations targeting illegal immigrants in Los Angeles. In recent days, these protests have begun to spread across the country.
A coalition of activist groups calling itself “No Kings” organized a series of protests across the country on Saturday to counterprogram the parade.
The group didn’t organize any demonstrations in the capital, but dozens of protesters were seen walking among the thousands of spectators in line for the parade on Constitution Avenue.
Around the outskirts of Washington in Northern Virginia and Maryland, protesters lined busy thoroughfares and highway overpasses.
In Los Angeles, which was rocked by riots against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations last week, police fired flash bangs and canisters of tear gas to disperse protesters.
Earlier on June 14, news broke that Minnesota’s former House Speaker Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband, Mark, had been killed in their Brookland Park home by an assailant posing as a police officer.
Another Democrat, Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette, were injured in another attack in Champlin, Minnesota.
Police have identified the suspect, and a statewide manhunt is in progress.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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