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7 days ago
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
Trump's Military Parade: Bad Marching Explained
This weekend, there was a military parade in DC to mark Flag Day and the 250th anniversary of the US Army — and definitely, totally not for President Donald Trump's birthday. If you've seen any clips going viral from the event, you've likely noticed that many soldiers marching out of sync with one another, or generally appeared to have pretty low energy, certainly not what one imagines when they conjure the image of a strongman military parade. It led to some speculating that the marching (or lack thereof) may have been a form of political protest. So, I spoke to Charlotte Clymer, an activist and DC-based writer, who covered the topic in her Substack "Charlotte's Web Thoughts." She served in the US Army from 2005-2012, including three years in the 3rd US Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard). Of her time in the Old Guard, she said, "I probably did hundreds of parades and various ceremonies, to say nothing of all the funerals that we carried out in Arlington National Cemetery. Beyond the actual missions, we were doing training all the time. We're talking 1000s of hours of drilling, marching, and various preparations for those ceremonies." Charlotte, like some of the other veterans I spoke to, said that she initially hadn't planned to watch the parade. However, after being sent clips while she was at a No Kings protest, she was "surprised" and "beyond shocked" when she watched the whole thing. She said, "That is something I never thought I would see in my lifetime. The glaring nature of the poor quality of the marching really kind of shook me. And I know that might sound strange for people to hear, because for most folks, it's just a military parade. It's not that big a deal." "But you have to understand, even beyond the whole honor aspect of this and discipline, fidelity to the mission, there's also just the consequences of not performing to standard in a military operation, even if it is just a parade," she continued. "Part of what makes soldiers meet a high standard of excellence is knowing there will be consequences if we don't. And in a parade of that public significance on national television, with the whole country watching, every soldier marching in that parade would normally understand that if they fail to meet at least a basic standard, they're going to face consequences for it." Charlotte doesn't buy that some of the soldiers simply were from units that weren't used to marching. "Every soldier learns how to march during basic training, and it's not hard. It's remarkably easy," she continued, noting that the soldiers will have had a dress rehearsal a few days prior. As for why we saw what we saw, she said, "I don't think this was a protest against Trump, or anything adjacent to anti-fascism or concern with how the government is operating. I don't think it had anything to do with that. I think this is just because they were treated very poorly and they didn't care. I think the soldiers who were misstepping during the parade — there were a lot of them — were just tired, annoyed, probably to some extent angry, and they just did not give enough of a shit to march to a high standard of excellence." Part of the annoyance, Charlotte thinks, may have stemmed from many of the army members likely having to travel from out of town, staying in not-great lodgings, waking up early, and then spending hours waiting for their turn to march — "their comfort and dignity really were an afterthought." However, she also thinks it may have been because the parade itself was "completely unnecessary." "Everyone is aware that this parade was done in service of Donald Trump — even the soldiers who likely voted for him know it was done in service to his ego. And I don't know about you, but I would never want to participate in the parade so that a lone individual could feel good about themselves," she explained. "Of course, we want to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US Army. But everyone is aware that that's simply a proxy for Trump celebrating himself. He wanted to recreate what he saw in North Korea, in France, in these other countries, these massive, flashy military parades that really would center him. He wanted a tyrant celebration. Everyone was aware of that, and I think their unhappiness showed through pretty clearly." Charlotte compared the parade with the inaugural parade, where "you'll almost never see a soldier out of step." Calling this event "deeply embarrassing," she said, "There are unfriendly nations probably watching this and wondering, does this military really support its commander-in-chief?" Speaking to how the parade might reflect on potential military use in city protests, Charlotte said, "The whole point of having our military is to protect the Constitution and the people the Constitution is meant to serve. If we don't have a military that is nonpartisan, that serves lawful orders of the President by the direction of the Constitution, we're in big trouble. At the moment, it's pretty clear that there has been some degree of dissension and unhappiness in the ranks, whether or not that has to do with politics or the way the troops are being treated. This is a complex conversation, but it is clear that there is a deep unhappiness in the military at the moment." Charlotte later emailed us to add, "It was like watching a professional baseball game and the players drop easy, routine pop flies numerous times. It was that level of surreal embarrassment." You can read more about the parade here.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Taiwan students heading to Harvard 'anxious' after US enrolment block
On Memorial Day, Arlington National Cemetery honors unidentified US service members at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The 3rd US Infantry Regiment will place 260,000 flags, with a wreath-laying ceremony symbolizing sacrifice from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Who's in it and how will they be honored on Memorial Day?
Hundreds will honor the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. The ceremony includes a prelude from the United States Marine Corps band and a full honor wreath laying. Generally, the president also attends the event. Memorial Day is observed each year on the last Monday in May. This year it is on May 26. On Memorial Day each year, the 3rd US Infantry Regiment, also known as 'The Old Guard', places more than 260,000 American flags at Arlington National Cemetery and the US Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery. Read More: What restaurants are open on Memorial Day 2025? McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, and more Soldiers then place the flags at one booth length in front of each headstone. This is known as 'Flags In'. Flags are also placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia is a monument honoring unidentified US service members who died in combat. Read More: Memorial Day 2025: Date, significance, history and traditions of the US federal holiday The tomb contains the remains of unidentified US service members from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. These individuals were selected to represent all unidentified soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice. The anonymity of the remains is central to the monument's symbolism, as they could belong to any fallen soldier. The inscription on the sarcophagus reads, 'Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.' World War I unknown: On November 11, 1921, an unidentified soldier from World War I was interred after being selected by US Army Sgt. Edward F. Younger from four caskets exhumed from American cemeteries in France. World War II unknown: On May 30, 1958, an unidentified soldier from World War II was interred in a crypt beside the World War I tomb. Hospital Corpsman 1st Class William R Charette selected the remains from two caskets. Korean War unknown: Also on May 30, 1958, an unidentified soldier from the Korean War was buried in an adjacent crypt. Vietnam War unknown (formerly): In 1984, an unidentified soldier from the Vietnam War was interred, selected by Marine Corps Sgt Maj Allan Jay Kellogg Jr. However, in 1998, DNA testing identified the remains as Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. His body was exhumed, returned to his family, and reburied in St. Louis, Missouri. As of May 25, 2025, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier contains three bodies: One unidentified soldier from World War I. One unidentified soldier from World War II. One unidentified soldier from the Korean War. The Vietnam War crypt is empty following the 1998 exhumation of Blassie's remains.
