Mexican Independence Day--Sept. 16, 2011

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Yesterday I witnessed one of the greatest display's of National pride that I have ever seen. The respect and gratitude the people's of Mexico feel for their Armed Forces was for me, as an American, overwhelming. The crowd on hand to watch and cheer the parade yesterday has been estimated at a half a million people, which I think is a low estimate. I can't begin to describe it, because there are no words. It is something that has to be seen. Military equipment such as tank, armored personnel carrier's, long range gun's, division's of personnel marching by, by the hundreds, jet planes, troop transport planes, helicopters by the dozens flying in formation over head. Hundred's of uniformed soldiers not in the parade being mopped by parent's to take pictures with their children. Citizens of Mexico lining up to shake their hands, hugging them and thanking them for their service. The Federal Forces, their National Guard, their Coast Guard, Military Academy's by the dozens. Personally, at that moment I wanted to kick every "protester" who has cast aspersions at my military, my protector of my rights and freedom, in the mouth. At the conclusion of the two and a half hours of parading of military might, 30 armored personnel carrier's were parked in front of the Presidential Palace and 10's of thousands of children were allowed to crawl, stand, play on and in them. The soldier's placed their helmet's on their heads and posed for pictures with them, parent's with tears in their eyes taking the pictures and hugging the soldiers. There wasn't I child, I would bet, that didn't understand what "their" military was about.