24-06-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Pride When the U.S. Army Goes Rolling Along
Regarding 'Patriotism and Protests Stir the Nation' (U.S. News, June 16): I want to land firmly on the 'pro' side and thank President Trump and the organizers. Every aspect of the parade touched me personally.
My father enlisted in January 1944 and served in the Army until his death in 1973. While in the Counterintelligence Corps, he was awarded multiple medals including a Bronze Star, and he is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. I spent most of my childhood overseas, where an Army parade was a very anticipated and celebrated event, in part because there were none of the usual community activities enjoyed in civilian America. The parades always included marching soldiers in perfect cadence, a color guard carrying the U.S. and regimental flags, and a military band playing patriotic songs. At Christmas since there were no department stores featuring Santa Claus, he would arrive in a helicopter on the parade grounds.
