Category: Elise Castelli
Granite Staters Witness History
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 -Whether listening with rapt attention to President Bush’s address or marching for presidential review down star-spangled Pennsylvania Avenue, New Hampshire residents joined Thursday in the pomp and circumstance of Bush’s second inaugural.
Back in the warmth of his hotel room hours later, Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer Thomas Parks III of Dover, who won the Silver Star in Iraq in 2003, recalled the swearing-in scene as he sat bundled and catching the tail end of the parade on television.
“I thought it was magnanimous,” he said of Bush’s speech. “This is a bipartisan effort, and it was pretty much explained by the President today– this is a celebration of freedom.
“What perked my interest was his care and concern about the service members,” said Parks, who is based at Camp Pendleton, Calif. “We’re doing the right thing. We’re out there protecting people who can’t protect themselves, and we do that very well as the superpower of the world.”
The all-Republican New Hampshire congressional delegation was also pleased by Bush’s speech.
“It justified his effort to protect democracy in a troubled part of the world,” Rep. Charles Bass said in an interview. “Liberty and freedom tend to protect America’s interests and make America free. No two democracies were ever in a war with each other.”
In a written statement, Sen. John Sununu said, “President Bush has an historic opportunity to unite our country, and I expect that he will follow through on the commitments he outlined during the campaign.
“Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, whether you supported the President or opposed him, this is a time of optimism and a time to see a clear vision for the United States.”
Rep. Jeb Bradley also was taken by the speech. “It was ambitious and hopeful,” he said. “The most important thing is that our freedom is linked to the freedom of people around the world.”
Nashua resident Debbie Fraser, 47, found the President’s speech “patriotic and inspiring.”
“He started on what we can do in the world but ended back home and what we need to do as Americans,” she said. “It was an ambitious goal he was talking about generations down the road. We have to change if we’re going to make the world a better place. We are all going to have get on the road and do that.”
While the President spoke at the Capitol, bands began lining up down the road for the parade. The 130 high school and college students who perform as the Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps of Nashua were calm and collected as they met with the drum majors to review the parade procedure. The percussion and brass band, one of 80 musical groups chosen for the event, made its fifth appearance at an inauguration Thursday.
“This is something special that I will remember for my entire life,” said Christopher Jack, a drum major from Salem. “I voted for Kerry, but it’s the President. It’s the office and I am doing it for the office.”
A few hours later the band was marching down Pennsylvania Avenue sporting their black and red uniforms and beating out the tune “American Salute” for the cheering crowds.
“It was a big surprise to be chosen,” said Peter LaFlamme, the band’s director. “One would think that on the one side they would spread it around and let someone else have a chance, but again they want groups with experience too.”
The opportunity to play on one of the biggest national stages, however, comes at a cost: $50,000 for transportation, lodging and food. “We had to tap into our funding for our 50 th -anniversary events to make it happen, which is fine because we wanted to make this happen for the group,” LaFlamme said.
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