With each U.S. military era given their own special focus in the America 250 parade, Vietnam veterans received a tribute many were never offered during their own homecoming.

Coinciding with Flag Day, the anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official U.S. flag, and the Army’s 250th anniversary, organizers say the protest is in response to President Donald Trump’s military parade , cuts to Veterans Affairs resources and other cuts to social services and federal departments.

Preparations continue on Constitution Avenue ahead of an upcoming military parade commemorating the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary that coincides with President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Washington (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

In Washington, D.C., scores of people have shifted from the Army festival to the parade route, walking west toward the Washington Monument. The protests have—for now—mostly died down. It’s a hot, steamy Washington evening,