Evening star., 1945-10-05

the day, which began shortly aftel
2 o'clock with the arrival of Admira
Nimitz and his review of the parade
The parade moved out from tn,
East Capitol Plaza soon after l pm
The air show of 1000 naval bomb,
ers, fighters and transports was ar,
ranged by two naval flying heroes
Comdr. David McCampbell and
Comdr. William A. Dean.
Stationed as honor guards alons
the line of march were high
school cadets and Representatives
of veterans and other patriotic or
CARNATIONS. y
The parade was headed by tbs
guest of honor division, including
the admiral and his party, top Of
flcers of the Army and Navy and
Federal and District officials.
Marching Division Follows.
Next came the marching d.
vision, headed by the regiment OF
Annapolis midshipmen. On foot
were 900 Marines from Quanticc
900 bluejackets from the Navy Yard,
$50 Coast Guardsmen from the
training station at Curtis Bay, Md,
9, platoon of Navy nurses and 400
women Marines. Behind them
marched detachmentS of WAVES
and SPARS,. each 400 strong.
A novelty was 100 Coast Guard
sentry dogs, led by their bluejacket
masters.
The motorized divisions brought
a procession of jeeps filled with
veterans of the Philippines, the
Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal,
Wake Island, Guam, Saipan, Two
Jima, Okinawa-battles in which
American arms won imperishable
glory.
Captured Japanese landing craft
and tanks followed. The final
unit brought examples of naval
air might, planes of various types,
mounted on tractors, and an ex-
hibit of naval ordnance.
Each section of the parade had
a band and a number of drum and
bugles corps added to the volume
of martial music.
Thousands chose the Monument
Grounds in preference to the streets
along the line of march, for they
could see both the parade and the
stirring program to follow.
Aisle of Flags.
Pennsylvania avenue was an aisle
of flags. Clusters of small Amer
lean flags flew from every lamppost
along the line of march below post
ers telling the returning hero well
done Admiral" and Welcome MINI
itz." The Justice Department had
large flags flying from three sides of
the building. Two flags on tall
standards few on either side of the
entrance to Archives.
At two points along the line of
march-on lower Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and near the point where the |
parade was to leave the Avenue for
the Monument Grounds-fire lad
ders draped in bunting were ex-
tended to their full length to form
inverted VS.. Suspended from them
were welcome banners and large
American flags.
AS early as IL am. the Capitol
Grounds was the scene of the great
est activity. Jeeps, howitzers, am
phibious tanks and trucks we're
parked on the streets to the south
of the Capitol. Interested spectators
were employees of the House Office
Building who left their desks to go
out and survey the battle equipment.
A field artillery training bat
talon with IT'S men had left Guam
tico at $50 am. to be here in
plenty of time for the parade.
New Jersey avenue Sc. had taken
on warlike air. Men in battle
dress, complete with combat pack.
bayonets, rifles and steel helmets
sat in their jeeps or on the curbS
along the road waiting for the
time when they would roll down
Pennsylvania avenue.
First in the motorized division
we're five jeeps with signs affixed
to them-Okinawa, Two Jima,
Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan. The
men who waited to ride in those
jeeps were veterans of those Pacific
battles. Most of them had been in
more than one of the actions.
Posed for Pictures.
While they waited. some of them
took turns posing for pictures in
full battle dress with the Capitol
for a background.
Parked behind the brown jeepI
campaign cars were the gray Navy
ieeps. They, too, bore signs-Coral
Sea, Guadalcanal, Midway. First
Battle of the Philippines, Second
Battle of the Philippines. Behind
them the men from Quantico were
which already cleaned
silver in the sun. Others were wash
ing infniteSimal bits of dirt from
the tire wheels. Others were loung-
ing atop huge amphibious tractor
Waiting for the signal to start, |
Marines in jeeps and trucks amused
themselves by listening to soapt
operas with military radios tuned
as loud as possible.
Two 9Th Division men passed the
time In a rousing gin rummy game
perched atop an LVT landing craft.
A swarthy street vendor, peddling
cheap American flags at a quarter
apiece, was the target of much good
abuse by the troops in the
area,
You're on the wrong street, Mac.
We're all fighting men here!" the
Marines shouted
The peddler laughed uncertainty
and said, you're all good boys"
Then he moved on. fast.
An old man, with toddler In
hand, walked close to Jill 12-I
captured japanese torpedo bomber
and fingered the silver fabric of the
fuselage.
There now, Sonny, that doesn't
look like SO much now, does it?"
Lined up on New Jersey at CI
street Sc. were other aircraft with
folded wings, surrounded by hordes
of small boys pretending they were
pilots.
Nine Ships Hold Open House.
Nine naval ShipS incIIdinC the