My favorite image so far from this jingoistic, nationalistic, masturbatory "celebration"...

[sir pball]

The Patrouille de France flying over DC…if you know your history, you know we literally owe our existence to France.

ETA: yes, it's an amazing pic, but I'm trying to draw attention to the reality that we never could have won our nation without France (and Spain, to make racist heads explode):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France_in_the_American_Revolutionary_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain_and_the_American_Revolutionary_War

[Permanut]

1. Amazing pilots, amazing pic.

[Skittles]

2. very cool!

[Maru Kitteh]

3. The French really do have more stylish everything don't they.

[sir pball]

5. They do, but the Navy's Blue Angels do have an opinion.

Bigger, faster, and MUCH closer (18 inches!!)

[Deuxcents]

4. France has stood by us from the very beginning and still is our unwavering ally. An amazing flyover salute for us

[Initech]

6. That's pretty bad ass!

Needs some Danger Zone!

[sir pball]

7. ...

[Initech]

8. Someone call Kenny Loggins cause you're in the Danger Zone!

[sir pball]

9. Oh you did not...

[Initech]

10. What am I, hourly?

Great show!

[sir pball]

11. Such a good show

So much vocal talent…

[FailureToCommunicate]

12. So true! Without Lafayette, Rochambeau and the French

fleet off Yorktown, it wouldn’t have turned out so well for this new nation.

[sir pball]

13. The Spanish were just as important...

Hence my link

[FakeNoose]

14. I think we repaid the debt in 1945

[ITAL]

16. We repaid the original debt in 1918

1945 took care of the interest payment.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

15. .

[littlemissmartypants]

17. You just triggered a memory, sir pball. I was fortunate enough to be present for a celebration at Yorktown in the 1990s.

The USS Yorktown was the setting for the event.

I met and spoke with the president at the time, François Mitterrand. In the receiving line, I thought he seemed very tall. He was smiling.

Then we shook hands for the first time, and he noticed the pin I was wearing on the lapel of my red woolen suit that said, "God Bless America!"

What happened next was delightful and caught me totally off guard.

He continued to hold my hand, bent down close, and whispered in my ear, "Vive la France." Then he smiled at me and squeezed my hand. I swear he had a twinkle in his eye.

It was one of the greatest moments of my amazing life.

Thank you so much for sharing this photo with us.

🇫🇷❤️🇫🇷

USS Yorktown CG-48
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Yorktown_(CG-48)

Every October 19, Yorktown, Virginia celebrates the important American Revolutionary War victory of 1781 with parades, performances and ceremonies. This event, called Yorktown Victory Day, marks the battle that helped win independence for the United States.

https://www.jyfmuseums.org/learn/teacher-resources-programs/classroom-resources/hands-on-history/yorktown-victory-day

Siege of Yorktown
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Yorktown