Military parade set for Saturday
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Washington, D.C. is gearing up for one of the largest military parades in recent history as the U.S. Army marks its 250th anniversary this Saturday. The celebration will feature thousands of troops, tanks rolling through the streets, and dramatic aircraft flyovers above the National Mall.
'Being part of the Army's 250th is an amazing opportunity especially to represent the First Infantry Division,' said Major Brandt Murphy, who will be among the soldiers marching down Constitution Avenue.
Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Husted added: 'You don't see tanks drive down the streets in D.C., so that in itself is going to be very, very cool.'
Preparations are underway not only for the parade, but also for a massive security operation. Fencing and security checkpoints now line the National Mall as the Secret Service and local authorities brace for large crowds and a potential visit from former President Donald Trump.
'I'm from Dallas, Texas,' said Jaslyn Jackson, one of many spectators arriving in D.C. ahead of the parade. 'I just want to see how it turns out — the crowds, the energy, and who shows up.'
Mary Walker, a Capitol Hill resident, says her family is especially excited, 'We've got a two-year-old boy who's very excited to see tanks and helicopters and celebrate the Army.'
Not everyone is thrilled with the military display. Critics have raised concerns about the optics of tanks in the capital, and the cost.
'I think that's pretty ominous, right?' said Rachael Harvender, visiting from Vermont. 'It's not something we're used to on American turf, so it puts a little bit of a spooky feel over it.'
Despite the criticism and a projected price tag in the tens of millions of dollars, organizers insist the celebration is a once-in-a-generation moment to honor the Army's legacy.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Army turns 250. Trump turns 79. Cue funnel cakes, festive bling, military might — and protest
WASHINGTON (AP) — There were funnel cakes, stands of festival bling and American flags aplenty. There were mighty machines of war, brought out to dazzle and impress. And there was the spray of tear gas against nonviolent marchers in Atlanta and rolling waves of anti-Trump resistance coast to coast. In scenes of celebration, protest and trepidation Saturday, masses of Americans cheered for a rousing Army parade like none seen in Washington in generations. Masses more rallied across the country against a president derided by his critics as an authoritarian, would-be king. On Saturday, 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 while others decried the militarization of city streets — in Los Angeles, where a federalized National Guard and U.S. Marines remained deployed against unrest, and in Washington for the parade. In these times, the fault lines of American life were evident. 'One nation under distress,' read a sign carried in a crowd of 1,000 protesters on the grounds of Florida's old Capitol in Tallahassee. Forewarned of a heavy state response if the crowd caused any trouble, organizers implored the peaceful protesters to not so much as jaywalk. Yet, 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.' Spirited 'No Kings' protests unfolded in cities and towns across the American republic. But in Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz asked people to stay away from anti-Trump demonstrations after the assassination of state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, by a gunman still on the loose. In Washington, more than 6,000 soldiers set off marching 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. With evening thunderstorms in the forecast, the parade started well 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. It was all too much for Wind Euler, 62, who flew from Arizona to join the protesters. 'My father was a Marine in Iwo Jima, and he was a Republican," Euler said. "I think he would be appalled by the fascist display this parade shows.' Opinions as plentiful as the imagery 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.' Above all, Bogner said, he came to protest the deployment of U.S. troops in Los Angeles after lawlessness broke out in pockets of the city along with peaceful demonstrations against Trump's crackdown on immigrants. 'I'm struggling to understand when it became unpatriotic to protest,' he said. In Atlanta, law enforcement officers deployed tear gas to divert several hundred protesters heading toward Interstate 285 in the northern part of the city. A journalist was also seen being detained. Police yelled 'unlawful assembly' and 'you must disperse' into megaphones as they used tear gas to divert protesters off the road. The tear gas caused the crowd to disperse east and away from the interstate. Two police helicopters flew above as the crowd moved. Police in Charlotte, North Carolina, used bicycles to corral marchers. After the main 'No Kings' march ended in Charlotte, a second, unpermitted march began, producing a police confrontation. Officers formed a barricade with bicycles and yelled 'move back' as protesters attempted to march through uptown Charlotte. In response, demonstrators chanted 'let us walk' as police continued to shift them back. Protesters also shouted other phrases such as 'peaceful protest' and 'no more Nazis.'
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Man 'intentionally' drives into protesters at 'No Kings' in Virginia, police
Man 'intentionally' drives into protesters at 'No Kings' in Virginia, police Show Caption Hide Caption Millions march in 'No Kings' protests across country Millions marched in cities and towns across the U.S. in "No Kings" protests to rally against the Trump administration. Authorities in Virginia arrested a 21-year-old man they said intentionally drove an SUV through the crowd at the town's "No Kings" day event. Culpeper police officers arrested Joseph R. Checklick Jr., of Culpeper, on June 14, at the conclusion of the demonstration. Participants were leaving the area and crossing through a business's parking lot when an SUV drove "recklessly through the crowd of pedestrians," the department said in a news release. Culpeper Police charged Checklick with reckless driving, according to the release. He appeared before a magistrate and was ordered to be held without bond at the Culpeper County Jail. Officers said they stopped the vehicle and identified the driver as Checklick. Their preliminary investigation determined that Checklick had "intentionally accelerated his vehicle into the dispersing crowd, striking at least one person with his vehicle." No injuries were reported to police. The person Checklick is accused of striking with his vehicle has not been identified by law enforcement, the release said. Incident occurred amid 'No Kings' protests The incident in Virginia occurred as millions took part in coordinated "No Kings" protests from coast to coast, criticizing the Trump administration. The "No Kings" marches, rallies and demonstrations were organized to coincide with the Army's "Grand Military Parade and Celebration, which falls on Trump's 79th birthday and Flag Day. Woman killed at Virginia protest in 2017 after man drove car into crowd Several years ago, a car drove into a crowd of counterprotesters about an hour from Culpeper in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing a demonstrator. James Alex Fields Jr. was convicted of killing a woman named Heather Heyer, after intentionally driving into a group protesting a 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017. Fields was convicted of first-degree and eight other charges, including aggravated malicious wounding and hit and run. Heyer, a 32-year-old paralegal and civil rights activist, was killed, and nearly three dozen were injured during the attack.
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Thousands attend No Kings events in Lake County
A former combat soldier and a onetime Republican who got his first job through the late Sen. Robert Dole, R-Kansas, were among more than 8,500 people in Lake County participating in No Kings events protesting the actions of President Donald Trump. Holding a sign that read, 'fought for freedom not for a throne' was U.S. Army veteran John McCullough of Grayslake who said he spent six years in the military, including tours of duty in the first Gulf War and on the Demilitarized Zone separating South and North Korea. 'I watched a dictator from a distance,' McCullough said at a rally in Gurnee, referring to the ruler of North Korea. 'We don't need a king whose father paid for him to be a draft dodger. That's not what my brothers and sisters bled and died for.' John Anderson of Beach Park sat in a wheelchair at the Gurnee rally wearing a shirt with the words 'Go Kemp' referring to former U.S. Rep. Jack Kemp, R-N.Y., who was Dole's running mate in 1992. Anderson said he is no longer a Republican. 'I was a Republican precinct committeeman in three states — Kansas, Minnesota and Illinois,' Anderson said. 'The Republican Party is no longer a party with a platform. They're about one person.' Anderson and McCullough were among more than 8,500 people who participated in No Kings Day rallies Saturday in Lake Country towns Gurnee, Highland Park and Buffalo Grove as they showed their displeasure with the way Trump is governing the country. More than 4,500 people attended the rally in Gurnee, 2,500 in Highland Park and 1,500 in Buffalo Grove, according to organizers at those locations. Along with the three Lake County events, there were nearly 2,000 protests planned across the country Saturday from city blocks to small towns to courthouse steps and community parks. There was also a demonstration in Washington, D.C. where Trump attended a military parade. Orchestrated by the 50501 Movement, organizers said the group picked the 'No Kings' name to support democracy and speak out against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement. Many of the approximately 4,500 participants in Gurnee—filling two blocks on Grand Avenue and one on the adjoining Hunt Club Road—held signs indicating displeasure with Trump's leadership style. Signs read, 'No kings in America since 1776,' 'Rejecting kings since 1776,' 'Immigrants don't invade, they rebuild what history has broken' and more. There were no planned speakers but chants broke out regularly. Katie Salyer, a Gurnee resident and one of the organizers from Northeast Lake County Indivisible—the Lake County Democratic Party was also a sponsor—was holding a megaphone leading part of the crowd. 'What does democracy look like?' Salyer asked. 'This is what democracy looks like,' the crowd responded several times in a row. Salyer said the chants were a tool to keep the crowd active and orderly. There was also a political purpose. 'It gives the people a voice,' she said. Barb Wigginton of Fox Lake said she was there to make a point about behavior of some of the immigration officers carrying out Trump's deportation policies. Her sign read, 'Melt ICE,' referring the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. 'Everyone should be treated with respect,' she said. 'Do what you have to do, but be kind.' Joan Zahnle was one of the Highland Park rally organizers. She said the crowd consisted of people of all ages from parents with young children to teens and older individuals. There was a dual purpose. The rally was combined with a food drive. 'We have four SUVs loaded with food going to pantries in Waukegan and North Chicago,' she said. Carolyn Pinta, the organizer of the Buffalo Grove event, said it there was a party atmosphere with music and dancing. The first participant arrived 45 minutes before the noon starting time with her 99-year-old mother attending her first political rally. Lake County Republican Chair Keith Brin said in an email Trump is anything but a king. He was fairly elected and is enforcing laws passed by Congress just like Democratic presidents administered them before him, Brin said. 'The President hasn't made up laws like a dictator,' Brin said in the email. 'If the protesters don't like the laws, change the laws. Instead of figuring out why the majority of the country disagrees with them, Democrats protest against an imaginary dictatorship that has been routinely checked by Congress and the courts.'
