President Donald Trump is set to host a large show of force this weekend in Washington, D.C., the first such celebration in decades.
This Saturday, June 14, more than two dozen M1 Abrams tanks, scores of infantry vehicles, and thousands of soldiers are set to march down Constitution Avenue in the nation’s capital as part of the Army’s 250th Anniversary Celebration.
The parade also happens to fall on the same day as Trump’s 79th birthday, but the administration has insisted that the Army’s anniversary and Trump’s birthday are a coincidence and that the parade is justified to honor soldiers’ sacrifice.
A rare sight in the capital, the last major military parade was held in 1991 to celebrate the end of the first Gulf War. The large military movement into the city comes only days after Trump sent 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles.
Here are photos from the last parade in 1991.
Contributing: Kathryn Palmer and staff, USA TODAY
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 1991 DC military parade: See photos from National Victory Celebration
