A grand parade celebrating the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army barreled down Constitution Avenue in Washington with tanks, troops and flyovers on Saturday to the beat of off-and-on rainfall.
The event coincided with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, who sat alongside first lady Melania Trump in a special viewing area near the White House.
The affair was not without controversy. The day was also marked by "No Kings" protests across the country, planned by those who decried President Trump as a dictator.
The cost of the parade was expected to reach $45 million, and Washington residents voiced concerns over the possible damage the tanks and artillery would do to the city.
Below is a live timeline of the parade and celebration as it took place. Time stamps are in Eastern Time:
8:55 p.m. The celebration concludes with various musical performances
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8:40 p.m. Fireworks show begins
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8:20 p.m. President Trump addresses the crowd, who then sang "Happy Birthday" to him.
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8:15 p.m. Vice President JD Vance speaks to the crowd at the parade, wishing the Army and President Trump a happy birthday as well as a happy anniversary to Second Lady Usha Vance.
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8:05 p.m. Parade concludes, musical performances and speeches begin before a scheduled fireworks show
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7:55 p.m. President Trump Delivers Oath
The final participants of the parade included 250 new recruits or soldiers who are re-enlisting. President Trump stood at a podium then swore them into service, with soldiers repeating an oath after him.
“Congratulations, congratulations,” he told them. “Welcome to the United States Army! And have a great life”
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7:48 p.m. Change of plans
Officials confirm to Scripps News that the U.S. Air Force Thunderbird flyover scheduled for the parade has been canceled due to the inclement weather.
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7:45 p.m. Future Army era
Leading the future Army section will be the band of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Future troops, including members of the Texas A&M Army Corps of Cadets, new enlistees just going through Army initial entry training, cadets from the Virginia Military Institute and cadets from The Citadel in South Carolina will be among the marching procession, said The Associated Press.
One of the more intriguing sights was robotic dogs parading alongside soldiers.
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7:10 pm. Modern Army era
The final war portion of the parade will is featuring a long procession of various heavy tanks, artillery, drones and helicopters the Army is counting on for any near-term future conflict.
That includes scores of Black Hawk helicopters, all variants of towed and self-propelled artillery, and even the HIMARS High Mobility Artillery Rocket System that has been so coveted by Ukraine as it fights Russia, reported The Associated Press.
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6:46 p.m. Desert Storm era
The marching soldiers transitioned into the Desert Battle Dress Uniform, which includes the famous "chocolate-chip camouflage" or "cookie dough camouflage.
This portion of the parade featured Bradley fighting vehicles. According to The Associated Press, Bradleys have been used since the 1960s and extensively during the U.S. wars in Iraq.
More recently, the U.S. has given some to the Ukrainian military to assist in its fight against Russia, The Associated Press said.
This era of the parade also featured U.S. M1-Abrams tanks.
Units marching included the 1st Infantry Division based at Fort Cavazos, Texas, soon to be renamed Fort Hood, said The Associated Press.
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6:40 p.m. Vietnam War era
Soldiers donned in Vietnam War era uniforms began marching after a flyover of multiple Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopters, more commonly called "Hueys." The helicopters are notable for their widespread use during the Vietnam War, which was often referred to as "The Helicopter War."
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6:35 p.m. World War I and World War II eras
Soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division marched past the viewing stand with President Trump dressed in World War I era uniforms.
The 150 soldiers wearing period costumes for World War I are from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, according to The Associated Press. The unit was established in August 1917 and was nicknamed the “All-Americans” because soldiers were initially pulled from 48 states to form it.
Six historic jeeps were in formation for the World War II section of the parade, which began their military use during that period.
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6:20 p.m.: Parade Begins
Although it was scheduled for 6:30 p.m., the parade began a little early amid inclement weather across Washington. Officials have said the festivities will be held rain or shine.
President Trump, who turned 79 on Saturday, was joined on a special viewing stand south of the White House to watch the display of American military with first lady Melania Trump to his right and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to his left.
The marching began with The Old Guard, the Army's oldest active-duty infantry regiment, with roots to 1784. It serves as the Army's official ceremonial unit. Shortly after, the Army's Golden Knights parachute team floated over down to The Ellipse, part of the White House grounds, just before rain began to pick up. The group was scheduled to go towards the end of the parade, but likely changed due to the weather.
The paratrooper spectacle was followed by the 1st Cavalry Division from Texas.
A note to our viewers: The official parade video is from America 250, a nonprofit set up by Congress and overseen by a bipartisan group of lawmakers to produce public events related to the 250th anniversary of the United States Army. Scripps News has no control over the video feed.
