DEMOCRACY IN ACTION photo.
The U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard, a Navy platoon and part of the presidential escort, marches onto Pennsylvania Avenue from Constitution Avenue.  The parade started about an hour late.  [More Photos]

Inaugural Parade
Thursday January 20, 2005
Pennsylvania Avenue

"We have this thing down to a science as far as the timing."
             -Lt. Col. Bruce C. Alexander, U.S. Air Force
                Chief, External Information Division
10,000-plus people participated in the Inaugural Parade.  Of these about half were military personnel, including a cordon of about 1,500 who lined Pennsylvania Avenue. 

Heading the procession was a 334-person presidential escort, several media trucks, and the president and vice president. 

Joining in after them, in five divisions representing the five services, were 46 military marching units, 48 civilian marching units, 14 equestrian units comprising 266 horses, and 14 floats (floats defined as things not on feet). 
Participants staged at the Pentagon, assembled on the Mall between 7th and 15th Streets, moved to 4th Street, and merged onto Pennsylvania Avenue.  There were also four route bands and three route acts.  Protesters congregated in a permitted area at 4th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue.  Due to tight security there were only thirteen general public entry points along the entire route.

A lot of preparation went into the parade including a crawl phase (map exercises), a walk phase (rehearsal on the morning of January 16), and a run phase (on Inauguration Day itself).  The parade was scheduled to last one hour and 52 minutes.  There were measures for "straggler control."  "It'll stay within a couple of minutes [of the set time]...so long as there's no disruptions," stated Capt. Curtis Reilly, standing on the Mall during the January 16 rehearsal.  That may have been the case, but the parade itself started about an hour later than expected.

Division One
U. S. Army Staff
U. S. Army Field Band
U. S. Army Military Academy Company
U. S. Army Active Company
U. S. Army Color Guard
U. S. Army National Guard Company
U. S. Army Reserve Company
University of Texas Longhorn Band – Austin, TX
*Celebrating Freedom, Honoring Service (float)
[The theme float-"a 35-foot-long scroll depicting the Preamble to the Constitution, draped with red and blue satin and featuring red roses and white daisies.  Riders will be dressed in period costumes."-by Hargrove, Inc.]
Stone High School Band – Wiggins, MS
*American Rescue Dog Association (float) – Woodford, NY
NYPD Emerald Society Pipes and Drums – Bronx, NY
*New York City Emergency Vehicles (Honoring Service float)
FDNY Emerald Society Pipes and Drums – Breezy, Point, NY
Senators Burns (horse) – Montana
Grant Wood All City Drum Corps – Cedar Rapids, IA
Mobile Azalea Trail – Mobile, AL
Arcadia High School Marching Band – Arcadia, CA
Tulsa County Sheriff's Office (horse) – Tulsa, OK
Arizona Angels – Scottsdale, AZ
Scarborough and Elliot PD Explorer Posts – Scarborough, ME and Elliot, ME
Northern State University Marching Wolves – Aberdeen, SD
Culver Black Horse Troop & Equestriennes – Culver, IN
*Crawford High School Pirate Band (float) – Crawford,TX
["honoring President Bush...45-feet long and is pulled by a 20-foot tow unit bearing the Texas Seal.  The Crawford, Texas High School Band will perform from the float, which also includes a 23-foot-tall backdrop with the word TEXAS, giant long horns, and the lone star symbol.  Yellow roses and other native Texas plants decorate the edges of the float."-by Hargrove, Inc.]

Division Two
U. S. Marine Corps Staff
U. S. Marine Band
U. S. Marine Corps Active Company
U. S. Marine Corps Color Guard
U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Guard
Wyoming High School All State Marching Band – Worland, WY
*Wyoming Theme (float)
[The45-foot-long float includes a Grand Teton mountain scene, complete with a 1,000-gallon re-circulating stream, stuffed buffalo, and cowboy riding a bucking bronco.  The 20-foot-long tow unit is disguised with an authentic 1862 Conestoga wagon." -by Hargrove, Inc.]
Texas A&M University - Fightin' Texas Aggie Band – College Station, TX
Ross Volunteer Company of Texas A&M University – College Station, TX
Broken Arrow High School Marching Band – Broken Arrow, OK
United States Army Caisson Platoon (horse) – Ft. Myer, VA
Easton Area High School "Red Rover" Marching Band – Easton, PA
21st Ohio Infantry-Civil War History Group – Suwanee, GA
*Warren County Prevention Partnership (float) – Bowling Green, KY
Lakeville Senior High School Marching Band – Lakeville, MN
USSS Uniform Division Honor Guard – Washington, DC
*USSS Uniformed Division Motorcycle Guard (float) – Washington, DC
Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps – Nashua, NH
Connecticut's First Company Governor's Horse Guard (horse) – Avon, CT
Connecticut's Second Company Governor's Horse Guard (horse) – Newtown, CT
Lincoln-Way Central High School Marching Knights – New Lenox, IL
 

Division Three
U. S. Navy Staff
U. S. Navy Band
U. S. Naval Academy Company
U. S. Navy Active Company
U. S. Navy Color Guard
U. S. Navy Reserve Company
Camden Fairview High School Marching Band – Camden, AR
*Marion County Sheriff's Precision Drill Squad (float) – Indianapolis, IN
Ohio State University Marching Band – Columbus, OH
Ft. Riley Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard (horse) – Ft. Riley, KS
West Monroe High School Marching Band – West Monroe, LA
The Summerall Guards - The Citadel – Charleston, SC
Lowndes High School "Georgia Bridgemen" Band – Valdosta, GA
Pentagon Force Protection Agency (float) – Washington, DC
Gaither High School Marching Cowboys – Tampa, FL
*Military Order of the Purple Heart (float) – Riverdale, MD
Marshall County High School Marching Marshalls – Benton, KY
Kilgore College Rangerettes – Kilgore, TX
*Halau Ho'omau l I Ka Wai Ola O Hawai’i (float) – Alexandria, VA
["a 20-foot-long South Seas-themed float will carry a dance troupe"-by Hargrove, Inc.]
West Johnston High School Band – Benson, NC
Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers – Cranston, RI
American Fork High School Marching Band – American Fork, UT
 

Division Four
U. S. Air Force Staff
U. S. Air Force Band
U. S. Air Force Academy Company
U. S. Air Force Active Company
U. S. Air Force Color Guard
U. S. Air Force National Guard
U. S. Air Force Reserve Company
Menasha High School Bluejay Brigade Marching Band – Menasha, WI
Mid American Pompon – Farmington, Hills, MI
Stars 'N' Steeds Mounted Drill Team – Willard, MO
University of Tennessee – Knoxville, TN
Merced County Sheriffs Posse (horse) – Merced, CA
*North Dakota-Legendary (float) – Medora, ND
American Originals Fife & Drum Corps – Annapolis, MD
*Lincoln Highway National Museum & Archives (float) – Galion, OH
[fire truck]
Norwich University – Northfield, VT
Easley NJROTC – Easley, SC
Jackson Memorial High School Band – Jackson, NJ
St. John's College High School – Washington, DC
McQueen High School Band – Reno, NV
Stars 'N' Steeds Mounted Drill Team (horse) – Willard, MO
*Ring of Fire (float) – Sherwood, OR
["a refurbished, early 20th-Century Trolley car will carry a hand bell choir"-by Hargrove, Inc.]
 Freedom Riders (horse) – Kersey, CO
Auburn University Marching Band – Auburn University, AL
 

Division Five

U. S. Coast Guard Staff
U. S. Coast Guard Band
U. S. Coast Guard Academy Company
U. S. Coast Guard Active Company
U. S. Coast Guard Color Guard
U. S. Coast Guard Reserve Company
U. S. Merchant Marine Academy Staff
U. S. Merchant Marine Academy Band
U. S. Merchant Marine Academy Color Guard
U. S. Merchant Marine Academy Company
University of Nebraska at Omaha Marching Mavericks – Omaha, NE
U.S.Border Control, El Paso Sector (horse) – El Paso, TX
*Washington Crossing Foundation (float) – Newtown Square, PA
Lincoln Minute Men – Lincoln,  MA
Americanas (horse) – Rexburg, ID
Ballou High School Band – Washington, DC
Red Hot Mamas, Ltd  – Hayden, ID
Liberty High School – Clarksburg, WV
New Castle County Police Mounted Unit (horse) – New Castle, DE
Zuni Pueblo Band – Zuni, NM
Virginia Military Institute – Lexington, VA
First Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment (horse) – Fort Hood, TX
Virginia Tech Regimental Band, The Highty Tighties –  Blacksburg, VA
[Finale - 36-foot tall eagle towing an American flag 63 feet long and 24 feet tall.  "The flag is covered in 5,000 yards of red, white, and blue statin and has been completely refurbished since it appeared in the 1989 inauguration of President Bush's father...It actually appears to flutter because of the tilt of the flag and the sheen of the satin. It is on a long chasis dressed out with green grass and white fringe. "-by Hargrove, Inc.]

 

Route Bands and Acts

Geoff Bach Juggling Entertainment – Erie, PA
Star 'd Clown – Amarillo, TX
The Firecrackers – Maineville, OH
33rd Volunteer Regiment Band – Bloomington, IL
Douglas High School Band – Gardnerville, NV
Gautier High School Marching Band – Gautier, MS
Spaulding High School Marching Band – Rochester, NH

Press Releases &c
PIC announces participants (12/04/04)

Outside Groups
Turn Your Back on Bush: "On Inauguration day, we don't need banners, we don't need signs, we just need people.  We're calling on people to attend inauguration as they are: members of the public.  Once through security and at the procession, at a given signal, we'll all turn our backs on Bush.  A simple, clear and coherent message."
A.N.S.W.E.R (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) says it has a permit for a "mass convergence" at 4th Street and Pennsylvania along the North side of the parade route and is encouraging people to show up "as close to 9 a.m. as possible."
Christian Defense Coalition-plans to hold a demonstration and prayer vigil along the parade route; has complained about Park Service permitting and and prohibitions against crosses which could be used as or conceal weapons..


Copyright © 2005  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.