U.S. military vehicles will roll through Washington on November 11 in a salute to veterans, a Pentagon memo said on Friday, detailing President Donald Trump's dream of hosting a military parade.
The White House announced a month ago that Mr. Trump had asked for a large-scale military parade, an unconventional call that immediately fuelled comparisons with similar events in more autocratic countries.
“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,” said the memorandum for General Joe Dunford, who chairs the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Defense Department had earlier said it was planning for “around” that date, which is known in the U.S. as Veterans Day and in other countries as Remembrance Day, marking the end of World War I.
Pentagon plans call for “wheeled vehicles only, no tanks,” as they would tear up city roads.
There would also be “a heavy air component at the end of the parade, to include older aircraft as available”.
The parade route will stretch roughly 1.6 km from the White House to the Capitol, where Mr. Trump will review his troops surrounded by veterans and Medal of Honor recipients.
As planning continues, the memo gave no more details on the type of weaponry to be featured in the parade.
