U.S. Army’s 250th Anniversary should be celebrated and revered

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

I once covered a swim camp that featured one of the coaches from the USA Olympic Swim Team.

When he spoke to the campers at the end of a lunch break, he told them to “celebrate your victories”.

I doubt any video of this speech has survived as this was well before the trend of recording most every living moment on your smartphone — significant or not — took hold. Perhaps it’s for the better because this guy would surely be vilified on social media for placing too much emphasis on winning and celebrating after doing so without the wee bit concern for the damage inflicted to the self-esteem of those not fortunate to wave the “W” … or not wave it as frequently

Such celebratory swagger with such little regard for the vanquished apparently was in vogue during mythical times, too. When Merlin the Magician addressed King Arthur’s army on the battlefield after a successful campaign, he offered these fork-tongued words … Rejoice with great gladness! … Remember it well, this great victory! … So in the years ahead you can say “I was there! … With Arthur! … The King!” … For it is the doom of men that they forget.

During the end of last Saturday’s (June 14) U.S. Army 250th Anniversary Parade that ran along Constitution Avenue in Washington D.C., President Trump related some of the greatest achievements of this country’s oldest of six military branches.

“Every other country celebrates their victories,” President Trump said. “It’s about time America did too.”

Before his return to office President Trump floated the idea for the military parade with the anniversary coinciding with his 79th birthday. Not all were pleased with the concept of such a grandiose Soviet era-like display of might, especially with it being joined at the hip with President Trump as the parade became colloquially referred to as “Trump’s Military Parade” by his detractors.

Such cynicism doesn’t always congregate on one side of the political spectrum. One of the signs of these Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-be damned times is more open condemnation toward Black History Month … like why isn’t there a White History Month?

But if you’re not careful and let your guard down, you might learn something or two from the things you condemn.

That happened to me during one February day when the beleaguered Public Broadcast System aired a documentary featuring Percy Lavon Julian, who was one of the most brilliant and consequential chemists of all time. Julian’s pioneering work on chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants and the development of steroids to aid the recovery of patients after major medical procedures may end up being the reason why the average life span might reach triple-digits soon.

Julian was a black man. I may have never gotten to know who he was if it wasn’t for Black History Month … or PBS.

This is something else I didn’t know until very recently — on June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress authorized enlistment of riflemen to serve the United Colonies for one year. That’s when the U.S. Army was born.

I did pay enough attention in history class to know that a little more than a year after the army’s birth, the Declaration of Independence was signed and ratified, and some time after that — Sept. 3, 1783 — our sovereignty was formally recognized by fellow belligerent Great Britain, with whom we are now strongly allied with.

I may have already knew that, but I didn’t know the U.S. Army’s original birthday and how it’s closely related to Flag Day, which was established to commemorate the date — June 14, 1777 … exactly two years after the army was established —  when this country approved the design for the first national flag until “Trump’s Military Parade” tripped my newsfeed.

Held in juxtaposition to the birthday parade on the same day were the “No Kings” protests held across the country, including Charles City. The collective turnout overwhelmed the sparse attendance at the U.S. Army 250th Anniversary Parade while giving President Trump’s internet trolls plenty of visual content to work with, like … Those for Fascism (photo of near-empty bleachers at the parade) … Those Against (photo of mass humanity toting placards at one of the 800-plus “No Kings” gatherings).

In a previous “sports column” where I tried to shoe-horn my political opinions into, I wrote that it wouldn’t be a good thing if President Trump returned to the Oval Office because he is “reckless and undisciplined”. There is absolutely nothing he has done since his return to warrant a retraction, as far as I can see.

The No Kings mass protest was inevitable when considering how this administration has become more emboldened with its incendiary actions and policies, and more flippant regarding the people they have hurt and compromised.

But to schedule the mass protest the same day as the U.S. Army’s 250th Birthday while disparaging the latter because it’s aligned with President Trump is a missed opportunity, especially when something like this comes around only once in a quarter of millennium.

That being said, the No Kings mass protest is probably one of the greatest acts of civil disobedience in this country’s near-quarter of millennium history, and because it listed more to the side of peaceful than violent, it will likely be revered for years to come.

But for those who took time last Saturday to acknowledge the U.S. Army’s 250 years of existence while celebrating its history-turning accomplishments and victories, its innumerable acts of valor and sacrifice, and its undaunted resiliency that has kept it going strong for so long … and maybe becoming wise to something not known beforehand … I salute you, too.