Independence Day at Fort Bragg

Allen invited us to Fort Bragg's Fourth of July celebration. We tried a new route, down through Danville, Reidsville, around Greensboro, through Sanford. It's the shortest and best drive we've yet discovered: just under five hours. We had a great time visiting with the parents and sister of one of his fellow soldiers, and thoroughly enjoyed the celebration on the post's parade fields. They estimated 50,000 people would attend. The thunderstorm held off until after the end of the entire celebration, including the super fireworks show. The program included a jump by the Golden Knights demo parachute team, musical numbers by the Special Forces band, other musical groups playing patriotic medleys, a special parade of flags from the 50 states and ensigns of the Army units at Fort Bragg -- accompanied by a 75-gun salute, using the 105mm howitzers as the guns. Impressive firepower. Really impressive firepower. Towards the end of the program, the band played the 1812 Overture, accompanied by the howitzer fire. We were sitting on a blanket less than 150 feet directly behind the howizers. At the end of the overture, the howitzers then used up their remaining ammunition, firing at will, showing off how quickly they can shoot and reload (six howitzers, each firing once every four seconds or so... you had to have been there to appreciate the fire and smoke and booms and everything. Afterwards came 15 solid minutes of continuous fireworks, a professional show definitely worthy of a major military installation the size of Fort Bragg. We then braved the exiting traffic off post to a midnight meal that introduced Dubby to a restaurant chain called "Waffle House", which she claims to never have eaten at before. "Mornin'!" "Mornin'!" The thunderstorm finally let loose. Happy Fourth.