June 14 is the concurrent anniversary of three different patriotic, all-American occasions. It’s annual Flag Day, the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and the 79th birthday of President Donald Trump.
Flag Day is an almost-forgotten holiday. June 14 is not designated as a federal holiday like Memorial Day (the last Monday in May) or Independence Day, July 4, but it comes almost midway between them. It is easy to forget Flag Day since it is not a state or federal holiday.
June 14, 2025, also marks the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
A giant parade will be held in Washington, D.C., celebrating the Army’s quarter-millennium of service. Alabama will be represented on the reviewing stand of the parade by Dr. Wayne Reynolds of Athens. He will also represent the Vietnam Veterans of America, of which he is national treasurer.
Reynolds served as a medic at the 95th Evacuation Hospital in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969 and at the 22nd Surgical Hospital.
Reynolds is now the elected member of the Alabama State Board of Education for Alabama’s eighth district.
Reynolds will be seated on the parade reviewing stand near President Donald Trump, who celebrates his 79th birthday that day.
It will be a three-for-one celebration at the parade – Flag Day, the Army’s Semiquincentennial and Trump’s birthday.
Semiquincentennial is a term you do not hear much. Better get used to it over the next year, as the United States is approaching its Semiquincentennial. The term literally means half of a half-millennium. The United States has survived and thrived through a quarter of a millennium. Few nations have lived so long. Fewer still have Republics survived that long.
There is a song that you will hear from the Army band in the parade. It is a patriotic song that commemorates our flag, but it is not as well-known as the "Star-Spangled Banner," "God Bless America," and "God Bless the USA". It is “You’re a Grand Old Flag” by George M. Cohan.
You’re a grand old flag
You’re a high-flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave
You’re the emblem of
The land I love
The home of the free and the brave
Every heart beats true
‘Neath the red, white, and blue
Where there’s never a boast or brag
Should old acquaintance be forgot
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.
A song you will not hear during the parade itself – "The Star-Spangled Banner," our national anthem. It will be played before the parade starts.
You have never heard "The Star-Spangled Banner" during a parade. It is impossible to march to. The marchers would have to stop marching to play it.
Details of the Army's 250th birthday parade as follows:
Date and Time: Saturday, June 14, 2025, with the parade starting at 6:30 PM EDT.
- Location: The parade will be held on Constitution Avenue NW between 15th and 23rd Street.
- Parade Route: The parade will run from 23rd Street NW along Constitution Avenue to 15th Street NW.
- Participants: Expect to see approximately 6,600 soldiers representing different eras of Army history, along with about 150 vehicles and over 50 aircraft. This will include M1A1 Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, and various helicopters and aircraft.
- Other Activities: The parade is part of a larger day-long celebration.
- Army Birthday Festival: Starting at 11:00 AM on the National Mall. You can interact with soldiers, see military demonstrations, and explore equipment.
- Fireworks: A fireworks show will follow the parade at 9:45 p.m.
- Enlistment and Re-enlistment Ceremony: Expected after the parade.
- Security: Enhanced security measures will be in place, and attendees will be screened.
- Traffic and Airspace Restrictions: Expect road closures and temporary flight restrictions around the parade route.
As America celebrates these three patriotic events on this June 14, we are less than 13 months away from an even bigger patriotic occasion. Next year, on July 4, 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation. It may take another year to learn to spell and pronounce Semiquincentennial.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler’s beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama -- her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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