An appreciative crowd lined the streets of uptown Port of Spain yesterday, as they tried to get a glimpse of this country’s national forces in action during the annual Independence Day parade.

From as early as 7 a.m., parents with babes in arms, along with children, and even the elderly, all of whom were clad in national colours, cheered on various arms of law enforcement as they marched through the city’s streets in celebration of the country’s 47th anniversary of independence.

This year’s Independence Day parade was much different to previous years, however, in that the traditional inspection of the forces by President George Maxwell Richards, as well as the parade of the Mounted Branch and K9 Unit, did not take place.

The parade, which normally takes place at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, was also a lot shorter than in previous years due to the alterations made this year and received a mixed response from those in attendance afterwards.

Several persons felt ’it (the parade) was short and sweet’.

’We did not have to stand in the hot sun whole day to see our boys march,’ Belmont resident Agnes St John said.

Others felt too much of the parade’s traditional elements had been chopped out, saying this took away from what was an even more glamorous spectacle. (See Page 11).

The parade, which started promptly at 8 a.m. at Memorial Park, began with the T&T Regiment playing their traditional tune of ’The More We Get Together.’

Even Chinese labourers working on the National Academy for Performing Arts Centre took a few minutes off to view the parade. With a bird’s eye view of the proceedings, the Chinese seemed somewhat in awe as they gaped and at times clapped as the members of the armed forces went through their routines.

But the main attraction which seemed to enlighten those present, especially the children, was the display of various vehicles used by law enforcement and also the fly past.

As they looked skyward with fingers pointing, spectators were greeted by two helicopters belonging to the Special Anti Crime Unit (SAUTT)-AS 355 (Viper One) and Sikorsky S-76- two airplanes from the Air Guard and a BO-105, the national helicopter.

Following the eyes right formation, the parade then continued along the streets of uptown Port of Spain and ended at the newly-refurbished Police Barracks in St James.