In a few short weeks, I will have graduated from the Air Force Academy fifty years ago. I learned about military parades there. I hear that one is coming up soon. Perhaps it befalls to a career guy to explain military parades to the public who may not understand their history or relevance. Parades exist for a reason. You may not like the reviewing official, but let me offer some thoughts from the parade route—my side of the reviewing stand.
When military units are as large or larger than an entire wing or regiment, a military parade is the only time a senior commander can review all of his troops at one time. We learned all those years ago that a commander could use parades to assess the morale and, to some extent, the readiness of his command. Parades always had a purpose. Perhaps it was to honor a hero who would be given the position of honor in the reviewing party next to the commander. In each parade I participated, I always privately honored my uncle and namesake who gave the last full measure of devotion for his country serving in Patton’s 3rd Army in World War II. Parades brought us together in national unity, to celebrate a victory, and instill a sense of pride before there was ever a “pride movement.”
The Star Wars generations likely do not understand the purpose of a military, much less military parades. You need standing armies to take and hold territory sometimes. Armies aren’t cloned in Hollywood studios. The data is dated a bit, but likely most of our all-volunteer forces still come from the conservative south and intermountain west. Our moms likely instilled in us the purpose and meaning of discipline, patriotism, and loving sacrifice. Truth and reality were served daily in my house topped with a dose of national pride and cohesion—values for which her brother gave his life.
But it really doesn’t matter what you or I think about military service, national unity, or parades. War is nasty business. War is about defeating your enemy’s forces in the field, occupying his homeland, and bending his people to your will. And our enemies know that, too. If they are already targeting us, and many are, it won’t matter what you or I think about military parades. Should they come to bend you to their will, it will matter little that we finished in second place.
I see complaints about a monetary figure ($45 million) assigned to a parade. That seems to me to be a rounding error in some social programs that target the military for social reform. Perhaps when we see the enemy on the horizon, we can throw our social programs at them. That’ll do it. There’s not much money in seeking national unity and cohesion these days. I see rich influencers handing out more money to foment dissention, social discord, and left-wing intentions. But enough of all of that.
I hear there’s a military parade coming up. It’s on Flag Day. Not only that, it’s the Army’s 250th birthday. I hear military recruitment numbers for the Army are way up. That sounds like a reason to celebrate. Let’s all find a little patriotism from somewhere deep inside each of us and enjoy a parade of the troops—while we can.