The Plaza is covered in olive-green

THE Granma yacht, the emblematic boat of the Rebel Army, once again sailed through the waters of dignity. On this occasion, it moved through a sea of Cuban children who escorted it down Paseo Avenue and through José Martí Plaza de la Revolución waving their blue kerchiefs. A military band played “La Lupe,” a song composed by Commander of the Revolution Juan Almeida Bosque before the revolutionary expeditionaries departure from Mexico in 1956, as the yacht passed in front of the military review stand.

The yacht was preceded by 120 horseback riders carrying machetes, representing the Mambí Calvary, in allusion to the Liberation Army, the seeds of the Rebel Army and today’s Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR).

The Granma was then followed by the companies of infantry troops from the various military divisions of the FAR. In compact blocs, uniformed regular and reserve troops marched goose-step, along with special battalions, the Revolutionary Navy, cadets from the Camilo Cienfuegos military schools and members of the Territorial Troop Militias (MTT).

As the sound of the soldiers’ boots marching in step echoed through the José Martí Plaza de la Revolución, the parade announcer explained the weapons they were carrying, including Cuban-produced Alejandro sniper rifles and Russian-made AKM automatic weapons with telescopic sights.

After the battalions came the combat equipment, including armored cars, trucks, command posts and tanks, all technologically modernized to provide them with greater combat capacity

Likewise, there was a representation of mobile anti-aircraft and reactive artillery, the famous BM-21s, self-propelled rocket-launching platforms for various types of rockets and anti-aircraft guns in optimal combat status, among other equipment.

The military aspect of the parade ended with a squadron of Mig-21, Mig-23 and Mig-29 fighter-interceptor jets from Cuba’s Air Force, as well as Mi-35 and Mi-17 helicopters.

The parade, which also served as a tribute to President Fidel Castro on his 80th birthday, wound up with 300,000 compatriots from neighborhoods surrounding the Plaza, in representation of the entire Cuban people, many waving Cuban flags and carrying handmade signs in tribute to Fidel and the Revolution.