A military parade is planned for Flag Day, June 14, 2025

Flag Day, celebrated annually on June 14, recognizes the adoption of the U.S. flag on June 14, 1777, by the Second Continental Congress.  President Woodrow Wilson, in 1916, first formally recognized the day, and in 1949, Congress officially established June 14 as Flag Day.  Traditionally, the special day is celebrated with parades and other patriotic ceremonies.  Many display the flag in front of homes, organizations, businesses, and schools.

The most famous military parade in DC was held over two days at the end of the Civil War.  People came from all over the country, despite the sadness caused by Lincoln’s assassination. 

The last time a military parade was held in Washington was on Flag Day in June 1991, to celebrate the U.S. victory in the first Gulf War. 

This year’s Flag Day honors the 250^th anniversary of the U.S. Army and the 79^th birthday of President Donald Trump.  The White House has announced a Flag Day parade in Washington DC, saying “…this parade will trace the Army’s evolution from the Revolutionary War through to the U.S. Army of Tomorrow…”.  In addition to nearly 8,000 Army soldiers, there’ll be Army re-enactors, period-accurate equipment and vehicles, flyovers, and military bands.

Taxpayers will, of course, be footing the bill, expected to total fifty million dollars or more.  In 2017, after witnessing a military parade during Bastille Day in Paris, Trump wanted a similar parade in DC, but was ultimately denied the event due to unanticipated costs and feared damage tanks would cause on city streets.  Whether the costs are more affordable (which they are not) or the streets are strong enough (which many believe they are not) are major concerns.  The Army will be laying down steel plates along Constitution Avenue where the tanks have to turn sharply.  The Army has said it will pay for any damage done to the streets.  Exactly how and when are unknown.

On June 14, the president will be in a protected ceremonial booth, inspecting and saluting the marching soldiers as well as twenty-eight heavy M1A1 Abrams tanks weighing seventy tons each.  Parachutists will present the president with an American flag.  The day will also feature a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, a fitness competition, and a birthday party for Trump on the Mall, featuring music and fireworks.

So, why will many thousands of protesters converge on the city that day?  Many who oppose Trump believe that this is more of a birthday party for a leader who demands attention, admiration, and complete loyalty.  Whether or not you respect the idea of honoring those who defend us and the machines they use, one has to consider the president who is hosting the parade. Technically, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were “draft dodgers”; both used education or prior service in a military-type group to avoid serving during the Vietnam War.  Trump, however, is the only president to dodge the draft due to a fake physical condition.  In 1968, he claimed he had bad feet — bone spurs — though he was a college athlete.  Even then, bone spurs could be cured by orthotics or surgery.  Of course, many attempted to dodge the draft during the Vietnam War for “medical reasons”, but none became president. 

Is this enough to disqualify Trump for hosting such a parade?  Add in the numerous insults Trump has spewed on the military over the years.  For example, in 2020, Trump stated that wounded veterans should be kept out of military parades.  In 2018, he blamed rain for the last-minute decision to cancel a visit to a veterans’ cemetery in France, citing his helicopter’s inability to fly in such weather and the Secret Service’s refusal to drive him, both of which were untrue. 

In the end, do parades of these types hyper-inflate the egos of the leaders who order them?  Certainly, that is true in Russia and China.  Should a draft dodger have the right to host such a parade, or a president who is perceived by many as a dangerous narcissist and who has severely insulted the military? 

For those who oppose Trump, numerous local and national protest organizations are organizing for citizens to express their disapproval and take the spotlight away from the president on June 14, 2025.

For more information, search “No Kings Day” on the internet.  Events will be held in many cities across America.

By Steve Semiatin,

Gettysburg

Steve Semiatin

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After serving as a Special Education teacher and school administrator for 36 years, my wife and I retired to the beautiful village of Carroll Valley, PA, near Gettysburg.   I enjoy reading and writing history articles and, currently, attending rallies to bring democracy back to America.

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