WASHINGTON – US military vehicles will roll through Washington on November11 in a salute to veterans, a Pentagon memo said on Friday, detailingPresident Donald Trump’s dream of hosting a military parade.
The White House announced a month ago that Mr. Trump had asked for alarge-scale military parade, an unconventional call that immediatelyfuelled comparisons with similar events in more autocratic countries.
“This parade will focus on the contributions of our veterans throughout thehistory of the U.S. military, starting from the Revolutionary War and theWar of 1812 to today, with an emphasis on the price of freedom,” said thememorandum for General Joe Dunford, who chairs the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Defense Department had earlier said it was planning for “around” thatdate, which is known in the U.S. as Veterans Day and in other countries asRemembrance Day, marking the end of World War I.
Pentagon plans call for “wheeled vehicles only, no tanks,” as they wouldtear up city roads.
There would also be “a heavy air component at the end of the parade, toinclude older aircraft as available”.
The parade route will stretch roughly 1.6 km from the White House to theCapitol, where Mr. Trump will review his troops surrounded by veterans andMedal of Honor recipients.
As planning continues, the memo gave no more details on the type ofweaponry to be featured in the parade.APP/AFP