As military parades go, the celebration in Washington, D.C. turned out to be an innocuous affair and not the triumph of fascist pageantry its loudest critics feared. Soldiers paraded in period uniforms and old and modern equipment rumbled through the streets (and roared overhead) in sufficient quantity to satisfy most history buffs. Nary a uniformed coup plotter was to be found. But the event was expensive, expending tens of millions of dollars to celebrate the birthday of the Army (and the president) at a time when the federal government's profligate ways already have its finances in dire straits. It was also a somewhat odd spectacle for a republic built on foundations that included suspicion of a strong military.
History on Parade
"Joined by tens of thousands of spectators, President Trump presided over a military parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, a pageant of soldiers in Revolutionary War uniforms, Sherman tanks from World War II and heavy equipment from every modern military conflict," reported Aaron Zitner, Joshua Jamerson, and Douglas Belkin of The Wall Street Journal.
