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The Pentagon has announced that the 2020 Fourth of July celebrations will be a salute to the American Revolution with flyovers in the cities instrumental to the Revolutionary War.
“The highlight of this year’s celebration will be our salute to the Great Cities of the American Revolution,” a Pentagon official told Fox News Friday. “The flyovers will begin in Boston and proceed to New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore.”
They will then join the “Salute to America” from the nation’s capital.
“Secretary Esper has approved a Department of the Interior request for DOD support to the 2020 Salute to America,” the spokesman said. “DOD will provide aerial, musical and ceremonial support to this year’s celebration in Washington, D.C.”
WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS
Democratic lawmakers from D.C., Maryland and Virginia in the House and Senate, led by Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., sent a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt to request that Fourth of July celebrations be put off this year, in order to save taxpayers money in light of the coronavirus.
Concerns over social distancing during the pandemic were cited in the letter.
“Given the number of individuals that would try to attend such an event, logistically such an event would be impossible to put on safely,” the letter said.
There are 1,700 service men and women expected to participate in the day’s events, which will also include flyovers at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota and Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate, in Virginia.
Several other cities that played a part of the American Revolution are expected to have flyovers as well.
President Trump announced that Washington, D.C., will be having a large tribute to America’s Independence Day, and will be hosting the “2020 Salute to America” from the South Lawn of the White House.
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“The flyovers provide an opportunity for DoD to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the United States Armed Forces,” the spokesman told Fox News. “Flying hours are a sunk cost for the Department of Defense, and these aircraft and crews would be using these hours for proficiency and training at other locations if they were not conducting these flyovers.”
“DoD is proud to help celebrate the nation’s 244thbirthday. We are grateful for our nation’s support as we defend our country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year,” the Pentagon spokesman added.
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