Army veterans push back against 'propaganda' narrative regarding U.S. Army celebration

U.S. Army veterans are pushing back against narratives referring to the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary celebration on Saturday as “Trump’s Military Parade,” propaganda or an example of a dictatorship.

“As a Vietnam Veteran and retired Army soldier, I’m absolutely disgusted that the mainstream media are referring to the celebration as Trump’s military parade. They are so into TDS [Trump derangement syndrome] that they would give short shrift to the birthday of the U.S. Army,” retired FAA special agent Brian Sullivan told The Center Square. Sullivan has long warned about national security threats and sounded the alarm about security lapses at Logan Airport ahead of 9/11.

One year before the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress established the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, to fight the British during the American Revolutionary War. After the American Revolution was won, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution on June 14, 1777, declaring it Flag Day to celebrate the new U.S. flag. It officially designated the American flag to have 13 stripes, alternating red and white with a blue field of 13 stars representing the 13 colonies that became the United States.

To commemorate the Army’s history and accomplishments on Flag Day and honor veterans and active-duty service members, President Donald Trump organized a 250-year anniversary celebration he says he funded out of his own pocket. Trump will join veterans, active-duty troops, wounded warriors, Gold Star families, and Americans from across the country who are traveling to Washington, D.C., to celebrate “our heroes who have protected our country through strength and selflessness,” the White House said.

The White House also produced a video highlighting the history and successes of the U.S. Army.

As we celebrate @America250, join @SecDef for an inspiring dive into the birth of the U.S. Army and its pivotal role in shaping our nation’s story! 🇺🇸Watch now ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/MT4ozseLwH— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 12, 2025

The event will highlight the Army’s roots in the Revolutionary War spanning two and a half centuries to its modern and future capabilities to “inspire a new generation to embrace the spirit of service, resilience, and leadership that defines the United States.” Attendees will experience 250 years of Army heritage displayed through historical reenactors, period-accurate equipment, vehicles, flyovers, military bands, a fireworks display, parachute jump by the Golden Knights demonstration team, among other events, the White House said.

Major networks are referring to the celebration as “Trump’s military parade.” Variety asked if “a parade meant to celebrate the nation truly exists if it can’t get on national broadcast TV,” suggesting major networks may not cover it, choosing instead to cover sports programming.

Variety also suggested that the Army celebration was “propagandistic” because “displaying national military capabilities on U.S. soil” was “the sort of thing one sees in authoritarian nations like North Korea.”

Those criticizing the event “seem to have forgotten that their freedom, to be so disgusting, was guaranteed by the blood of American service men and women. They should hang their collective heads in shame,” Sullivan told The Center Square.

“As a proud U.S. Army veteran, I’m thankful President Trump is celebrating the Army's 250th birthday with a grand, patriotic parade,” James Fitzpatrick, director of the Center to Advance Security in America, told The Center Square. “I chose to serve in the Army to give back to and protect my community and country as did so many other selfless Americans. This celebration is one way to celebrate the brave Americans who have served in the Army over our nation’s history and will inspire the next generation of Soldiers to do the same."

Longtime Texas oil executive and U.S. Army veteran who served in South Korea, Richard Welch, told The Center Square, “In 1775 our founding fathers created the Continental Army to resist the oppression of the British, which was a true dictatorship. Today, unlike 1775 Britain, we have the ability to criticize our government at the expense of the brave men who fought and died during the American Revolution. We still have the ability to do this today because of the brave men and women who have continued to serve in the United States Army every day since. For without them, we would still be ruled under a dictatorship which we could call North Korea where such actions would justify imprisonment or beheadings.”

Ahead of the event, the U.S. Army launched a website to honor the legacy of the U.S. Army, saying, “For 250 years, Army heroes have shaped our nation's story. … From the Revolutionary War through the present, countless soldiers have left their mark on the United States Army” through “intrepid and valorous action in battle, or by innovating processes that fundamentally shaped the way the Army operates.”

Under the Trump administration, the Army is on track to meet its annual recruiting goals, already having achieved more than 85% of its 2025 target, and all military service branches are reporting recruiting records, The Center Square reported.

Hundreds of protests are also planned throughout the country Saturday to protest Trump's immigration policies.