US marks 250th independence anniversary with New York tall ships parade and Trump's Mount Rushmore speech
New York City hosted a grand parade of 48 tall ships and over 50 warships from 20 nations on the Hudson River to mark the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, with Poland's Dar Młodzieży among the vessels. President Donald Trump inaugurated the celebrations with a speech at Mount Rushmore, declaring a 'golden era' for America.
Parade on the Hudson
On Saturday morning, the Sail4th 250 parade began at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, with 48 tall ships and over 50 warships from 20 nations sailing up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge. The vessels passed the Statue of Liberty, southern Manhattan, One World Trade Center, and Battery Park, while an international air review of more than 120 aircraft and helicopters, led by the Blue Angels, flew overhead. Organizers estimated that 6 million spectators lined the 24-kilometre waterfront of New York and New Jersey.
America celebrates 250 years of looking forward without fear. For a quarter of a millennium, our country has shown what a free nation can achieve.
Vice President JD Vance presided over the fleet review from the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge, joined by acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and top military commanders. Vance described the parade of ships and aircraft as a very American way to mark the jubilee and thanked President Donald Trump for restoring the tradition of international naval reviews.
Polish training ship Dar Młodzieży
Among the vessels was the Polish three-masted training frigate Dar Młodzieży, representing Poland and operated by the Gdynia Maritime University. The ship, which has trained future officers of the Polish merchant marine for over four decades, arrived in New York after earlier ceremonies in Norfolk, Virginia. On board were 120 first-year navigation students.
The frigate will stand side by side with the most beautiful vessels in the world. We will be positioned in one of the most representative spots in Manhattan, between piers 90 and 92, near 54th Street where Central Park begins.
The parade also held personal significance for the ship: July 4 marks the 44th anniversary of the first raising of the Polish flag on Dar Młodzieży in 1982. TVN24 reporter Piotr Kraśko, on board, noted that 50 years earlier, for the US bicentennial in 1976, the Polish tall ship Dar Pomorza had sailed to New York. The night before the parade, a sudden squall around 8 p.m. local time created dangerous conditions in New York Bay as dozens of large vessels were gathered.
It was a really difficult night. A squall hit. It would not have been so dangerous if only Dar Młodzieży were here, but imagine the largest tall ships in the world all in one place. Fortunately the wind calmed, but it was several really dramatic hours in New York Bay for the most beautiful, most wonderful tall ships in the world.
Trump's Mount Rushmore address
President Donald Trump inaugurated the celebrations with a nighttime speech at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, where the 18-metre-high faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln are carved into the granite. He declared that America is regaining its power and entering a new "golden era."
Two years ago we were mocked, treated with derision, we were a country in decline, and today we are the most powerful country in the world. We are respected like no other nation on earth, and I want to tell you: the best is yet to come. America will never be a communist country.
Trump also referred to current events, saying of Iran: "They are dying for a deal. They want a deal so badly. We gave them a week off for the funeral, because we are nice," alluding to the funeral of Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US and Israeli attacks. In Washington, D.C., the anniversary was marked with air shows and a giant fireworks display on the National Mall, despite a heat wave with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius.
After the parade
Thousands of officers from the NYPD, Coast Guard, Navy, and federal agencies secured the event, with special safety zones and restrictions on private vessels. After the parade, many foreign tall ships, including Dar Młodzieży, will remain in port for several days, opening their decks to visitors from July 5 to 7. The Polish ship will then sail to Boston before heading to Europe, with stops in the United Kingdom and Germany, and is scheduled to return to Gdynia on August 24.
- A sudden squall strikes New York Bay, causing dangerous conditions for tall ships gathering for the parade.
- President Trump delivers a speech at Mount Rushmore, declaring a 'golden era' for America.
- Tall ships parade begins from Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
- Parade concludes at George Washington Bridge.
- Dar Młodzieży and other ships open decks to visitors in New York.
- Dar Młodzieży departs for Boston.
- Dar Młodzieży returns to Gdynia, Poland.
