The sweltering June air in Washington D.C. vibrated with the thunder of military might. Tanks, drones, and helicopters roared overhead, a spectacle orchestrated by President Donald Trump to mark the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and his own 79th birthday. As thousands of troops marched down Constitution Avenue, a lone figure stood somewhat apart from the cheering crowds and pockets of protesters. He was an old man, his face etched with lines that spoke of a life lived hard, his eyes holding a distant, weary look.
He noticed me observing him and, with a sigh, began to speak, his voice a low rumble. “I remember the military parade after the Gulf War in 1991 very well,” he said, his gaze fixed on an M1A2 Abrams tank rumbling past. “I was homeless on that street back then. A lot of people came, and it was a big parade, but not a single person was happy or proud.” He paused, a bitter smile playing on his lips. “I know that because I experienced Vietnam.”
His eyes followed the flag-waving spectators. “Then, when Bill Clinton became president, I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was a big joke that a man who dodged the draft could get into the White House. It was ridiculous that those who fought in Vietnam slept on the streets and a man who fled Vietnam slept in a bedroom in the White House.” He shook his head slowly. “So, I don’t feel anything about President Trump anymore. I’m not interested. He’s doing a ridiculous salute, but I’m not angry. This country ended 50 years ago.”
The man’s words hung in the air, a stark contrast to the pomp and circumstance unfolding around us. The parade continued, a powerful display of America’s military, but for him, it was just a shadow of a past that had long since faded into disillusionment.
Trump shows off military might in parade marking 250th anniversary of U.S. Army
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