Happy Birthday to the US Army, a Force for Freedom
Citizens and soldiers remain united behind the causes of peace, liberty and equality, even when politics threaten to divide them.
Worth fighting for.
Photographer: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Across 250 years, on battlefields from Valley Forge to Gettysburg to Kandahar, the US Army has been a powerful force for freedom and democracy around the world. At its best, it has been both the instrument and embodiment of America’s national aspirations. On Saturday, the country will celebrate the semiquincentennial of the Army’s founding — on June 14, 1775 — in what ought to be a day of national unity.
Perhaps inevitably, the parade planned along the National Mall has already been overshadowed by politics. Nationwide immigration protests will unfold the same day. Marines have been deployed to help control unrest in Los Angeles. The president has at times seemed to conflate this celebration of the military with a celebration of himself. Tanks in the streets may carry some unfortunate connotations under the circumstances.