Trump's military parade includes a dog and pony show. And the dog is named Doc Holliday
When the Army celebrates its 250th birthday on June 14, a date that just so happens to be President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, the streets of Washington, D.C., will be filled with marching troops and tanks as World War II airplanes and Vietnam War-era helicopters swoop overhead.
Also included in the parade will be 34 horses, two mules, one wagon and a dog.
Army Col. Kamil Sztalkoper, a spokesman for the III Armored Corps, said the dog is a Blue Heeler (aka an Australian Cattle Dog) named "Doc Holliday" -- likely a nod to the famous gunslinger played by Val Kilmer in the movie "Tombstone."
MORE: Army prepares tanks for DC military parade that could cost $45 million
Doc joined the Army's 1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment at Fort Cavazos, Texas, more than two years ago as a young puppy, Sztalkoper said. Part of the unit, which is used mostly for community events, is a wagon pulled by two mules. Doc rides in the back of the wagon.
"This is nothing for him. He's used to parades," said Sztalkoper, noting that Doc has participated twice already in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. And while Doc falls "definitely in the sweet and playful category," Sztalkoper said he "knows his place very well when it's time for the parade."
Doc and his unit plan to depart Texas on June 10 so they can reach Washington in time to participate in the Army parade four days later.
Doc's trip to the nation's capital is part of a massive effort underway by the Army -- and Trump -- to mark the service's milestone birthday with a weeklong festival and parade that includes some 6,700 soldiers. Planning for the celebration has been under way for close to two years, according to officials. It wasn't until this year following Trump's inauguration, however, that officials began exploring options to make the event even bigger with a parade.
MORE: Army to go 'bigger' to mark its 250th. Could it be the military parade Trump wants?
Trump had sought a military parade in his first term, but the effort was scrapped after costs topped $90 million.
The final cost of this year's event is unknown. While the Army is estimated to spend up to $45 million to deploy troops and equipment, the celebration is expected to require considerable security on par with a large-scale event like the Super Bowl or presidential inauguration.
Though Army officials said there are no plans for any of the seven bands participating in the parade to sing "happy birthday" to Trump, the Golden Knights will parachute onto the White House Ellipse and offer the president a folded American flag. After the parade, Trump will also administer the constitutional oath to 250 Army enlistees.
"It is a lot of money, but I think that amount of money is dwarfed by 250 years of service and sacrifice that American soldiers have given this country," Army spokesman Steve Warren said.
"We're looking at this as an opportunity to really strengthen the connection between America and her Army," he added. "So, yeah, it's a lot of money, but it pales in comparison to what we're selling."
The event isn't the first military parade in Washington, though it is likely to be the biggest. The U.S. military under President George H.W. Bush held a victory parade in June 1991 following the Persian Gulf War.
MORE: Video June 8, 1991: The men and women of Operation Desert Storm parade through Washington, DC
Army officials said the parade is designed to tell the history of the Army, starting with troops wearing Revolutionary War garb. As the parade enters the World War II era, troops will march alongside period jeeps and an M4 Sherman tank while a B-25 Mitchell bomber aircraft, Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport plane and four North American P-51 Mustang fighter-bombers buzz overhead. More recent conflicts will be represented with Army UH-1 Huey, AH-1 Cobra, AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
Also included in the parade are 28 M1 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker vehicles and six Paladin self-propelled howitzers.
The Army on Wednesday began loading the tanks on to rail cars from its base in Fort Cavazos to make the trek to Washington, D.C. in coming weeks. The tanks will be shipped to Jessup, Maryland, before being loaded onto trucks and driven to a staging area in Washington near the Lincoln Memorial.
Trump's military parade includes a dog and pony show. And the dog is named Doc Holliday originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Hypebeast
3 hours ago
- Hypebeast
Rowing Blazers and Tracksmith Reunite for Preppy Athletic Capsule
Rowing Blazers, the Jack Carlson-founded American fashion label known for its colorful blazers and rugby shirts, has reunited with Boston running brandTracksmithfor a second capsule collection. This time around, the duo has crafted a limited-edition line of tops, bottoms, and accessories inspired by the 'rhythm of running and rowing.' Standout pieces include color-blocked rugby shirts decorated with Tracksmith's hare motif, as well as racing singlets signed with Rowing Blazers' signature house croquet stripe. Down the line, cotton crewneck sweaters boast big letters reading 'Jogger;' canvas duffel bags feature chenille embroidery with dual iconography, and Tracksmith's Eliot Runner is reimagined with Rowing Blazers' house croquet stripe and a material composition inspired by New England's 'natural surfaces.' The Rowing Blazers x Tracksmith collection is now available to shoponlineand in stores, with prices ranging from $48 USD to $228 USD. Notably, in addition to the collaboration, Tracksmith will now also carry additional Rowing Blazers products in select stores. Take a look at the capsule in the gallery above.


Politico
3 hours ago
- Politico
‘Not just a party:' World Pride celebrations end with defiant politics on display
After the raucous rainbow-hued festivities of Saturday's parade, the final day of World Pride 2025 in the nation's capital kicked off on a more downbeat note. Thousands gathered under gray skies Sunday morning at the Lincoln Memorial for a rally and protest march, as the community gathers its strength for a looming fight under President Donald Trump's second administration. 'This is not just a party,' Ashley Smith, board president of Capital Pride Alliance. 'This is a rally for our lives.' Smith acknowledged that international attendance numbers for the bi-annual World Pride were measurably down, with many potential attendees avoiding travel to the U.S. due to either fear of harassment or in protest of Trump's policies. 'That should disturb us and mobilize us,' Smith said. Protesters cheered on LGBTQ+ activists taking the stage while waving both traditional Pride flags and flags representing transgender, bisexual, intersex and other communities. Many had rainbow glitter and rhinestones adorning their faces. They held signs declaring 'Fight back,' 'Gay is good,' 'Ban bombs not bathrooms' and 'We will not be erased.' Trump's campaign against transgender protections and oft-stated antipathy for drag shows have set the community on edge, with some hoping to see a renewed wave of street politics in response. 'Trans people just want to be loved. Everybody wants to live their own lives and I don't understand the problem with it all,' said Tyler Cargill, who came wearing an elaborate costume with a hat topped by a replica of the U.S. Capitol building. Wes Kincaid drove roughly 6 hours from Charlotte, North Carolina to attend this year. Sitting on a park bench near the reflecting pond, Kincaid said he made a point of attending this year, 'because it's more important than ever to show up for our community.' Reminders of the cuts to federal government programs were on full display, Sunday. One attendee waved a pole bearing a massive rainbow flag along with a large USAID flag; another held a 'Proud gay federal worker' sign; and a third held an umbrella with the logos of various federal program facing cuts — including the PBS logo. Trump's anti-trans rhetoric had fueled fears of violence or protests targeting World Pride participants; at one point earlier this spring, rumors circulated that the Proud Boys were planning to disrupt this weekend's celebrations. Those concerns prompted organizers to install security fencing around the entire two-day street party on a multi-block stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue. But so far, the only clear act of aggression has been the vandalizing of a queer bar last week. Late Saturday night, there was a pair of violent incidents near Dupont Circle — one of the epicenters of the World Pride celebrations. Two juveniles were stabbed and a man was shot in the foot in separate incidents. The Metropolitan Police Department says it is not clear if either incident was directly related to World Pride. A cold rain began falling around noon Sunday as the rally speakers cut short their comments and prepared to march. Some attendees filtered away while others huddled under umbrellas and ponchos. 'Rain will not stop us, and after rain comes rainbows,' said one speaker from the stage. The speeches didn't just target the Trump administration or the Republican Party. Some turned their ire on Democratic politicians, who they say have wilted under the pressure of Republican control of the White House and both houses of Congress. 'We have to call out people who have abandoned our movement,' said Tyler Hack of the Christopher Street Project. 'Being a Democrat is more than carrying the party affiliation,' Hack added. 'It's about unapologetic support for the trans community.' While the main march headed toward the U.S. Capitol, a separate group splintered off and headed toward the White House, unfurling a large 'TRUMP MUST GO NOW' banner. Those who stayed to brave the weather said their presence amid less-than-ideal circumstances was vital. 'People are still out here, despite the rain, despite their exhaustion,' said Gillian Brewer, a university student studying physics from Silver Spring, Maryland. 'We're not going anywhere.' Brewer expressed some frustration that the turnout for Sunday's protest march was lower than for the World Pride parade the day before, which she decided to skip. 'This is more important,' Brewer added. 'You can party all you want but at the end of the day, the protest is why we can party.' Natalie Farmer, who traveled from San Diego with her wife, attributed the difference in numbers between the march and Saturday's parade to people being tired from celebrating the previous night. 'Some of us have to do the rallying to keep the party going,' Farmer said. 'We all fight in different ways.'


USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
Best tennis match ever? Carlos Alcaraz's French Open win ushers in new rivalry
Best tennis match ever? Carlos Alcaraz's French Open win ushers in new rivalry Show Caption Hide Caption Jessica Pagula on accomplished Coco Gauff, Emma Navarro, Madison Keys Tennis player Jessica Pegula discusses how amazing it is to have other amazing American women in tennis dominating the sport. Sports Seriously So, tennis fans, how'd you like another decade or so of that? After Sunday's French Open men's final – a 5-hour, 29-minute epic that somehow ended with Carlos Alcaraz holding up the trophy for a second consecutive year – we can now officially close the book on the so-called Big Three era. There's a new game in town. And it's as spectacular to watch as anything tennis has ever seen. Yes, Alcaraz's improbable comeback to beat Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (10-2) is the story of the day. Not only did Alcaraz win his fifth Grand Slam title at just one month into his 22nd year of life – an absurd accomplishment on its own – but he did it by summoning a competitive aura only the all-time greats possess. He is, already, a legend. And that might have been the greatest match in the history of the sport. But the best part of Sunday's match is that it's not the end of the story. In many ways, it's just the beginning. HIGHLIGHTS: Alcaraz outlasts Sinner in epic French Open final The first Slam final between Alcaraz and Sinner not only exceeded every possible expectation, it sets an entirely new narrative for the sport. As Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal faded into retirement – most likely followed by Novak Djokovic in the next year or two – there was deep concern about what would come next after a 1½-decade battle between arguably the three best to ever hold a racket. Now we know definitively. Tennis is in the safest of hands. And barring something unforeseen, these two spectacular athletes are going to be doing battle in Grand Slam finals for many, many years to come. If you managed to watch the whole thing, or even just the last couple sets, it was easy to understand why that's such a tantalizing possibility. Let's start with the level of play. In a word, spectacular. Though Sinner and Alcaraz are each elite individually, combining to win the last six Grand Slam titles, the greatness they manage to draw out of each other is unique. Though different players stylistically and tactically, they have now twice played matches that could be considered among the best in the history of the sport in terms of ballstriking, endurance and the high standard it took to win a single point. When they played a US Open quarterfinal deep into the night in 2022, with Alcaraz emerging after 5 hours, 15 minutes, it showed the possibility of a friendly rivalry between two generational talents that had stretched back to childhood. It has widely been considered the best match of the decade, not just for the length of the match but the drama and the quality they both laid on the line. It only took three years to exceed that standard. Which leads to the second element of this ongoing story. What it took for Alcaraz to win that match – to beat Sinner on this particular day – was a sustained effort that few players in history could have managed. Maybe Djokovic. Maybe Nadal. Maybe. Because even though the all-time greats have all come back from two sets down and saved match points on the way to Grand Slam titles, few have had so little help from an opponent. Sure, there may be a shot or two that Sinner would want back after failing to convert three match points in the fourth set, then failing to serve out the tournament in the next game. But mostly, from that point until the final winner came off Alcaraz's racket, it was mostly about his greatness and his relentless shotmaking. Even in the fifth set, with Sinner clearly tiring more quickly than his opponent, he summoned enough energy to erase Alcaraz's early break of serve and send the match to a final tiebreak where – guess what – Alcaraz continued to pound clean winners off impossible angles. Sinner did not lose this match. Alcaraz just got up off the clay and stole it. We can debate where this final ranks among the 2008 Wimbledon final between Nadal and Federer or the 1980 Wimbledon final between John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg when you factor in all the intangibles. But if we're just talking about the quality of tennis played by two men over that length of time? It would be difficult to say there's ever been a better match. If the world was watching Sunday, it had to love what it saw. And when you realize what's ahead between them – more finals, more trophies, more history – this one felt like a moment to mark in time. One chapter of tennis closes, another begins. And it's going to be as entertaining as any we've seen.