Althought Marilyn Monroe won’t be there to sing “Happy Birthday Mr. President” she still lives in our hearts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqsikkkyy_s
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-7d9b8072-79ff-40dd-b278-a00999b8622f
The US military is rolling into Washington DC this week for a rare public display of strength on Saturday to celebrate the army’s 250th anniversary.
President Donald Trump, who has long dreamt of holding such an event, will watch on as more than 6,000 troops, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft take part in a military parade.
Trump, who coincidentally turns 79 on the same day, says the event will honour the US military’s role in major historical victories and celebrate American power.
But the one-day event, which the Army has said could cost up to $45 million (£33m), has been criticised by some as a vanity project and a poor use of taxpayers’ money.
So we’ve taken a look at what we can expect to see in Washington DC on Saturday and why it is costing so much money.
When did this last happen in the US?
While military parades are common in some countries – think Bastille Day in France or Victory Day in Russia – it’s fairly rare for them to be held in the US.
The last one on a similar scale was when 8,000 troops took to the streets of DC to celebrate the end of the first Gulf War in 1991.
US Army soldiers march past the Lincoln Memorial during the victory parade in 1991
One of the highlights for spectators this year will be tanks and other armoured vehicles rolling along the streets of the capital. They arrived in the city last weekend after making most of the 1,500-mile journey from Texas by train.
All 150 vehicles have been transported from Fort Cavazos near Killeen in Texas
It took more than a week for the freight train carrying the vehicles to make it to Maryland
The vehicles – which include M1 Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzers – were transferred from the train on to trucks at the CSX rail yard in Jessup, Maryland, before being driven into Washington DC.
The vehicles – which include M1 Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzers – were transferred from the train on to trucks at the CSX rail yard in Jessup, Maryland, before being driven into Washington DC.
Each Abrams tank weighs about 70 tons (63 tonnes) so a large part of the logistical challenge for the army is ensuring the capital’s streets can deal with the heavy load. According to the DC Department of Transport, the city’s roads can take a maximum weight of 40 tons (36 tonnes).
To lessen any damage caused to the roads, army engineers have spent the past week laying steel plates at key junctions along the route where the vehicles need to turn. They have also fitted new rubber pads on to tank and armoured vehicle tracks to stop them from chewing up the road.
Map: What is the parade route?
The length of the parade’s route has been reduced in recent weeks due to concern about how some of the roads would fare. It will be going along Constitution Avenue, starting at the corner of Constitution Avenue NW and 23rd Street and ending on 15th Street alongside the National Mall.
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The events are being held near the White House, between the Lincoln Memorial and US Capitol
Spectators will be able to watch the parade from a viewing area on the south side of Constitution Avenue
President Trump will watch from a stage set up in the Ellipse park
There is also a festival being held on the National Mall and a concert and fireworks at the Ellipse after the parade