Planes, no tanks lined up for U.S. military parade

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will get the military parade he wants, a Pentagon planning memo says, in the form of a plane-filled display on Veterans Day in Washington.

The memo issued Thursday and released Friday says the parade being planned for Nov. 11, Veterans Day, will “include wheeled vehicles only, no tanks — consideration must be given to minimize damage to local infrastructure.” Big, heavy tanks could tear up District of Columbia streets.

But the event will “include a heavy air component at the end of the parade,” meaning lots of airplane flyovers. Older aircraft will be included as available.

The memo from the office of Defense Secretary James Mattis offers initial planning guidance to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, whose staff will plan the parade along a route from the White House to the Capitol, and integrate it with the city’s annual veterans’ parade. Northern Command, which oversees U.S. troops in North America, will execute the parade.

Trump decided he wanted a military parade in Washington after he attended France’s Bastille Day celebration in the center of Paris last July. As the invited guest of French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump watched enthusiastically from a reviewing stand as the French military showcased its tanks and fighter jets, including many U.S.made planes, along the famed Champs-Elysees.

Trump praised the French display months later when he and Macron met in New York, saying, “We’re going to have to try and top it.”

But outdoing the French may be difficult without any tanks.

Trump thinks the parade, which some lawmakers in both political parties have criticized, would boost the spirit of America.

“We have a great country, and we should be celebrating our country,” he told Fox News Channel in a recent interview.

The Pentagon memo did not include a cost estimate for the parade. The White House budget director recently told Congress the cost to taxpayers could be between $10 million and $30 million.

Medal of Honor recipients and veterans’ organizations are to be included in the march, which, according to the memo, will feature a heavy dose of history.

“This parade will focus on the contributions of our veterans throughout the history of the U.S. Military, starting from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 to today, with an emphasis on the price of freedom,” the memo said.

Trump should be surrounded in the reviewing area at the Capitol by veterans and Medal of Honor recipients, the memo said.

Military parades in the United States have traditionally followed the end of wars. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush hosted a $12 million demonstration of military prowess after the end of the Persian Gulf war.

Other places in the world, though, are no stranger to military parades. In addition to France’s Bastille Day celebration in July, China held a huge military parade last summer, and in May, Russian leaders organized a large military parade through Red Square.

North Korea also frequently puts on displays of its military hardware, highlighting the nation’s missile capabilities by driving them down the streets of Pyongyang. Information for this article was contributed by Darlene Superville of The Associated Press; and by Matt Stevens of The New York Times.