The parade of July 14 on the Champs-Elysees: “fraternity of arms under the uniform, the commitment of a life”

This year’s theme was “Brotherhood of Arms in Uniform: Commitment of a Lifetime”. Japan and Singapore were in the spotlight.

4,290 soldiers, 220 vehicles, 250 horses, 64 planes and 30 helicopters paraded on the most beautiful avenue of the World, French followed the traditional procession of July 14th.

The emblems of the two Asian countries guests opened the procession at the sides of those of France, escorted by seven soldiers of each nationality.

For the first time, 56 members of ComCyber pressed the paving stone of the Fields–Élysées. Created less than one year ago, this unit made up of 3,400 members fights to protect the State from the computer attacks which multiply.

Little time after the beginning of the ceremony on the Fields–Élysées, two motorcyclists of the gendarmerie was struck at low speed and fell in front of the official platform.

The two gendarmes carried out figures within the framework of a choreography of opening of the procession mixing motorcycles, horses and soldiers on foot. The soldiers were quickly raised, under the eye of president Emmanuel Macron who addressed a sorry smile to them.

At the time when the Patrol of France flew over the capital, one of the nine Alphajet mobilized released a red smoke producer instead of a blue. What somewhat disturbed the pace of the spectacular trail blue–white–red to the colors of the French flag in the Parisian sky, emblematic image of the procession, it would not have been an error but a homage to the casualties in the rows of the army and to the victims of the hurricanes Irma and Maria according to the social networks, as opposed to what declared the Patrol of France.

A homage particular to summer returned to the units sent to the help of the local populations after the destructive passage, last September, of the hurricanes Irma and Maria in the French West Indies. Another homage, the pupils of the School of the officers of the National police present in the procession recently baptized their promotion of the name of Arnaud Beltrame, the lieutenant–colonel mortally wounded by a Jihadist in March sum of money whereas he had taken the place of an hostage retained in a supermarket with Trèbes (southern).

A heroic act which had moved France.
After US president Donald Trump last year, Singaporean the Japanese Prime Minister Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister Taro Kono were the guests of honor of the Head of the State, whereas France undertook to reinforce its military links in the Asia–Pacific.

After the procession of July 14th, president Emmanuel Macron, the first lady and the government went to the platforms to greet the public and the soldiers present.

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