France celebrated Bastille Day with a parade on Champs Elysees Jul 15, 2009
France celebrated its main national holiday – Bastille Day – with a traditional military parade on Champs Elysee. In addition to the French army and police forces there were other participants in the parade – one of the oldest infantry regiments and German soldiers. The parade has stretched from the Arc of Triumph to the Place de la Concorde. The parade was started by the republican guard. Then the sky over Champs Elysees was colored in the colors of the French flag by nine Alphajet planes of Patrouille Acrobatique de France, a piloting group of the French air force. After which the visitors could witness other fighter aircrafts such as the fifth generation Rafale, the Mirage, the ground attack plane Super Étendard, the Hawkeye all-weather, aircraft carrier-based tactical Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft, and many other military and military transport aircrafts.
The first ground units to participate in the parade was one of the oldest Indian infantry units – created in 1768, Light Maratha Infantry. Air and marine force units followed the infantry of the country which became the guest of the main national holiday of France.
There were French units taking part in this year’s parade, which just happened to return from international operations in Kosovo, Chad, Afghanistan, Cote d’Ivoire, and the Indian ocean by the shores of Somali. As well as those participating in operations inside the country. There were also units liquidated this winter as a result of the Claus hurricane that haunted the southwest of France.
The official parade lasted over ninety minutes, all under a clear blue sky, with participants ranging from all areas of national security, including police forces, firefighters, military regiments – infantry and motorized alike. There were also 120 German soldiers who passed along the Champs Elysees. Those were the men doing service in the Franco-German military unit. In conclusion of the parade, and as a demonstration of the French military power there were military helicopters that passed over the square accompanied by Richard Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries. And then, in front of the presidential tribune installed in Place de la Concorde a children’s choir sang the Marseillaise, which is the national hymn of France.
Bastille was a famous Paris prison for several centuries, and became a symbol of absolutism and tyranny. During the national upheavals of 1789 the castle was taken and destroyed. Bastille Day is on 14th of July, and traditionally considered to be the starting date of the French Revolution. On the first anniversary of Bastille Day in France, there was a Holiday of the Federation. The organizers of the holiday intended to show the unity of the French people as a result of the revolution. Consequently, in 1880 the French senate declared Bastille Day on 14th of July to be a national holiday in France.
Back to news
