The Parades

 

Well there's always a movie to be watched with my good old Dad. Today it's Thin Grey Line with Tyrone Power and Maureen O'Hara.  This is not a good movie, but I'm learning a few things about West Point. I never had a big interest in West Point, but this movie presents WP cadets as caring, loyal and friendly.  The movie ends with a parade, which prompted my dad to tell me a few stories about parades he's been in.

In Osaka I was in a parade.  The war was over.  I went to Japan in 1946.  The Japanese were lined up watching our parade, and not saying a word. 

Then I had one in Tokyo with the first cavalry division.  That was a big day. It was Fourth of July.  I guess the parades were to flaunt our strength.  We weren't able to do much flaunting because we were all kids.  17, 18 year old kids.  I don't think the Japanese were that impressed.  They probably thought, "Geez, these are the guys who beat us?"

I was in a parade in Fort Bragg and because I was a shorter guy in the squadron, I had the extreme right hand position.  While we were going by the parade stand, I saluted.  I shouldn't have.  It was not in the drill for me, but anyway I saluted.  I was the only one, of 200 men in the line. I realized as I was doing it and pulled my hand down quickly, so...