Navy Band Celebrates the End of WWII

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Edward Vasquez | Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Benjamin Becker, Drum Major for the U.S. Navy Band stands in Red Square, while waiting to perform during the 65th annual Victory Day Parade, May 9. Troops from Britain, France, Poland and the United States marched alongside 10,000 Russian forces while about two dozen world leaders attended the anniversary. The parade also featured tanks, ballistic missiles and a fly-over of 127 aircraft. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Edward Vasquez)  

MOSCOW, RUSSIAN FEDERATION

05.09.2010

Courtesy Story

U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet

By Petty Officer 1st Class Edward Vasquez

MOSCOW—Forty eight members of commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe band performed during the 65th annual Victory Day Parade in here, May 9.

The second battalion of the U.S. 8th Infantry Regiment and soldiers from 2nd Company, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards marched through Red Square in front of the Kremlin alongside their Russian and former Soviet allies in Moscow's Victory Day parade.

French and Polish soldiers also marched with the British and Americans as the first NATO states to join the military parade of their former Cold War adversary.

The band performed at Cathedral Square before parading down Tverskaya Street to Triumph Square. They later played at Poklonnay Hill and the Luzhniki Olympic complex during their visit to Russia.

Victory Day is Russia's most important holiday, partly in recognition of the shrinking number of surviving veterans. The ceremony involved more than 102,000 service personnel and more than 200,000 veterans and was conducted in 36 Russian cities.

• Date Taken: 05.09.2010
• Date Posted: 05.13.2010 09:28
• Story ID: 49584
• Location: MOSCOW, RU