OPINION: Trump's show of force was more like a patriotic family affair

Those who have not worn the uniform may not fully appreciate the military’s fondness for parading.

Learning how to march in formation is fundamental to every branch of the armed forces. We spent more time drilling at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego than anything else, and we got pretty good at it by the end of boot camp, 40 years ago last month myself.

Holding your head call could get pressing in the wee morning hours drilling back and forth on the giant parade grounds after having downed a quart of water at rack time the night before. Some guys had a fire watch wake them up during the night to relieve themselves so that they wouldn’t be laden with a quart of water during our 5 a.m. march to the chow hall, but I digress.

When my recruit company graduated on May 31, 1985, we paraded for family members, guests and the brass with our chests pumped out and our heads held high.

Soldiers participating in the U.S. Army’s birthday bash in Washington, D.C., on June 14 also beamed with pride on the National Mall. I could tell from their smiling faces and waves to crowd that it was one of the proudest days of their military service. I’m sure each of them was thrilled to have been chosen from over 1 million uniformed soldiers to participate in the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Army Grand Military Parade, repeatedly derided by the national media as President Donald Trump’s birthday parade.

As much as the Marines think the Army is a bloated mess, I’m sure many a Marine tuned in as did I to watch the grand parade, as difficult as the media made it.

What were the national TV networks up to during the grand parade that began at 4 p.m. our time? CBS/KRQE had Big3 basketball. NBC/KOB carried the third round of the U.S. Open. ABC/KOAT ran “Everyday Heroes” and “Matter of Fact” programs. PBS/KNME, which you might incorrectly think would cover a military parade as publicly funded TV stations, ran “Colores!” and “Bands of Enchantment” programs.

The media made much ado about the parade’s price tag, but $35 million doesn’t seem to me to be too generous a birthday gift for an Army that’s been around for 250 years and has become the most lethal military force in the history of the world. And I’ve never seen so much media concern about potential asphalt damage from military vehicles.

There were no “massive weapons” running through the streets of our nation’s capital. We don’t parade our intercontinental ballistic missiles and launchers like China or Russia or North Korea. The weaponry on display last weekend consisted of a handful of artillery units and tanks, many of them World War II-era Sherman tanks, nicknamed “Bunsen burners” by Canadian soldiers because of their proclivity to burst into flames when their engines and ammunition holds were struck by German tanks.

The Army Grand Military Parade wasn’t a show of force with massive numbers of troops and weaponry like that displayed by communist dictatorships. It instead focused on the legacy of the U.S. Army and America’s various wars, with soldiers wearing uniforms from various periods. It was more like a family affair with patriotic songs, fireworks and rock music — and a most fitting tribute to our veterans and service members who have served in the Army over the past 250 years.

I admit getting a little choked up near the end of the three-hour parade watching our president swear in about 250 Army troops. I bet their families were proud beyond expression. And our president’s remarks were brief and apolitical, as was appropriate.

What did interest the national media last weekend were the “No Kings” protests, which were generally hostile, but also generally peaceful, with some tragic exceptions. It was a tale of two Saturdays, indeed.

I take no issue with protesters speaking out against the government, but can’t we all agree they shouldn’t impede traffic? No cause is so noble to justify causing the death of a person in an ambulance because they couldn’t get through traffic and to the hospital in time. Police must start requiring proper permitting to shut down major thoroughfares so that detours can be planned in advance.

What did interest me about our local No Kings protests were who didn’t, not who did, speak at them. There was a glaring and strategic absence of Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Democratic U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján at rallies in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Even Deb Halaand, a leading Democratic candidate for governor, apparently didn’t want to be photographed among a sea of Palestinian and Mexican flags.

Smart Democrats are realizing their radical base is leading them off a political cliff of “Free Palestine” anti-Zionists and “Land Back” America-haters.

The U.S. Army Grand Military Parade, by contrast, was a patriotic affair. I hope our president will follow it up with a 250th birthday bash for the U.S. Marine Corps on Nov. 10. We’d wow the world with precision drilling, pride and patriotism even the TV networks couldn’t ignore.

I just hope Nov. 10 isn’t the birthday of anyone in Trump’s family, or else the national media will brand it “Trump’s second cousin’s birthday military parade,” that again endangers D.C.’s asphalt pavement.