Details on Trump’s Military Parade

More details about Trump’s June 14th military parade have come out over the past week or two, including that there will be about 6,600 troops involved, and that it will start at 6pm.

The unusual coincidence of June 14^th not only being the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, but also Trump’s 79th birthday, will give us the strange result of there being a military parade on our president’s birthday.

Strange for America, that is, as other nations with strongmen and dictators have done this many times over the years. Simply put, there’s no better way to celebrate the leader’s birthday than by having a military parade in his honor.

Here are a few things we know about the parade in DC so far, based on permit applications, as reported by Axios and the Associated Press:

The military parade would begin at 6pm at the Pentagon’s north parking lot and go over the Memorial Bridge, continuing on Constitution Avenue and ending at 15th street.

The Army’s Golden Knights will parachute down to the Ellipse, which is a 52-acre park south of the White House fence and north of Constitution Avenue and the National Mall.

The parade will also include a flyover, although it is not clear if that will be limited to Army airplanes and helicopters, or if other branches of the armed forces will be involved.

Approximately 6,600 soldiers, 150 military vehicles, and 50 helicopters are part of the plans developed by the Army.

The Washington Monument grounds will have facilities for food, water, and restrooms, while the Ellipse will have a presidential review stand, bleachers, and a concert stage.

The concert is scheduled to begin at 8pm and consists of 5 to 7 performers most likely from the country music world, and is followed by a fireworks display at 9:45pm.

The Secret Service has classified the parade as a National Special Security Event, similar to an inauguration, and WiFi infrastructure will likely be provided by Starlink.

While a final cost estimate is still unknown, officials expect it to cost tens of millions of dollars.

The fact that Trump’s birthday coincides with the Army’s 250th anniversary is more than just a strange coincidence. It also conveniently helps reinforce the perception by many on the right that Trump represents America – they are intertwined. And here’s why I bring that up.

It is said that while history does not repeat itself, it often rhymes. Nearly ninety years ago there was a slogan in Nazi Germany during Hitler’s reign, which said “Hitler is Germany and Germany is Hitler.”

For many Germans at the time, the Fuehrer was synonymous with his country. If you honored Germany, you honored Hitler – and if you honored Hitler, you honored Germany. There were intertwined.

This same thing is now happening in America. Trump is widely seen on the right as being the personification of truth, justice and the America way. Trump is America and America is Trump.

Right now history is rhyming – and we have to simply open our eyes to see what’s coming. ♦