This is the second time in history that the July 14 parade will take place on Avenue Foch. The first time dates back to 1918, but the parade took place in the other direction and not on the entire avenue, according to army archives. An initial table will first highlight 31 countries which participated in the Liberation of France, 14 Western countries and 17 countries from Africa and the Maghreb including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia but also Senegal, Chad and Djibouti.
This engagement will be staged with four vintage vehicles loaned by the “Garand de la Mémoire” association, in reference to the American rifle of the time, the M1 Garand. In the process, 22 helicopters and six light aircraft will give pride of place to military units elevated to the rank of Companion of the Liberation, such as the Chad marching regiment, the marine riflemen of the Kieffer commando or the Lorraine bombing group.
Olympic flame on horseback
On a shorter and narrower avenue, the foot parade will be reduced by 30% with 4,000 participants. There will be no parade of motorized troops, the governor clarified during a press conference. One hundred young French people who are part of a new army recruitment program will also parade, as will reservists and universal national service (SNU) volunteers, who will form the Olympic rings in front of the presidential stand.
The final scene will pay tribute to the links between the armies and Olympism, with the presence of the Cadre Noir de Saumur and the chief squire of this corps of elite horsemen, Colonel Thibault Vallette. This Gold medalist at the Rio Olympics in 2016 will bring the Olympic flame on horseback and hand it over to the torchbearers, who will then go to other symbolic places in Paris such as the National Assembly.
