Marine Corps Base Quantico -- There will be a sea of color along the parade route of service members from all five services. In a block of gray and green will be Marine Corps Base Quantico Marines, who will be part of the 5,000-member honor cordon as the newly sworn-in president and vice president make their way from the Capitol to the White House as a part of the Inaugural Parade. Later, the president and vice president will watch the rest of the parade as it passes down Pennsylvania Avenue.
It is an honor and sacrifice to be part of the honor cordon for the Marines. The Quantico Marine-volunteers had to sacrifice their time to participate in a full dress rehearsal on Jan. 15 that lasted most of the day. The Marines will leave tomorrow very early, as they are expected to be in place for the actual Inaugural Parade by 7 a.m. There will be a lot of standing and waiting as they anticipate the arrival of the new president and vice president.
Weather for Inauguration Day is expected to be 50-55 degrees with some light rain showers, but Marines will be standing tall despite the weather.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event for most of the Marines who will be participating,” Maj. James Green, base operations officer said.
“We were tasked with providing 212 Marines for the cordon to stand along the parade route,” Green said. “We have 243 standing by in case of illness, necessary leave and other things that may prevent the Marines from participating in the event.” Representation of the Marines will span the ranks from private first class to senior enlisted to officers representing almost all ranks.
Although there has not always been a formal Inaugural Parade – the pomp and circumstance of the inauguration has been developed over the centuries – the first inauguration of George Washington on April 30, 1789 in New York City, New York included Marines, militia and Revolutionary War veterans escorting George Washington to Federal Hall. Washington became the only president to take the oath of office in two separate cities, with his second oath being taken in Philadelphia. Thomas Jefferson was the first to take the oath of office in Washington, D.C. and the official Inaugural Parade was born during his second inauguration when Jefferson rode on horseback from the Capitol to the White House, starting a new tradition.
In addition to the honor cordons, bands (including the Marine Corps band), floats and organizations representing all 50 states will make their way down the 1.5 mile parade route.
Although the parade is organized by the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, Marine Corps Base Quantico is responsible for organizing the Marine honor cordon – from selection to transportation and meals throughout the day.
Green said planning started in August for the parade. There have been numerous meetings with the Joint Task Force and Marines who will be participating.
Planning was no small undertaking. Not only did the Marine cordon have to be picked and trained, bus transportation, meals and other details had to be taken care of. All the logistics for the Marines participating in the event were handled by G-4 (Logistics).
In addition to the cordon, Marines from Combat Camera, G-6 (IT) and Marine Corps Air Facility will also be participating in the day’s events.
“Secret Service credentialing was the most difficult,” Green said, noting that Combat Camera handled the task with the utmost professionalism. “They coordinated 243 Marines to have pictures taken in a timely manner.”
The parade participation of the Marine cordon would not have been possible without the help of Marines from many units aboard Quantico who pitched in where help was needed.
Marianne Weaver, Quantico Sentry Correspondent, also contributed in this report.