The 2021 National Day Celebration was held with great fanfare in front of the Office of the President on October 10. The highlight of the celebrations came when a CH-47SD from Army Aviation flew overhead with a huge national flag slung underneath. All the different types of aircraft passed over the Office of the President in formation made for an even more impressive sight. The Armed Forces also put on display the Tiangong-3 missile vehicles and other domestically produced defense equipment. The show of military strength and capabilities won praise from all citizens.
During the celebration, President Tsai Ing-Wen delivered an address on the theme of “Forging a Stronger Consensus: Standing United to Protect Taiwan.” She emphasized that the Armed Forces is dedicated to protecting the nation. If there is a natural disaster, they provide disaster relief. If sovereignty, democracy and freedom come under threat, the Armed Forces stand ready to defend the nation with their lives as well.
Opening Performance by the Joint Military Marching Band and the Ministry of National Defense Honor Guard
The national day celebration on October 10 opened with an exciting performance by the Joint Military Marching Band and other units. The celebrations and key addresses commenced after the singing of the National Anthem. During her address, President Tsai called upon the nation to unite behind the five themes of “Resilience through unity and international pandemic cooperation”, “Unprecedented challenges amid a complex regional landscape”, “Building consensus around four commitments”, “Cooperation across society to resolve our differences”, and “Engaging the world with pride and confidence.” She also hoped that the people would move forward with confidence and pride as masters of their own destiny, embrace their global role, and make Taiwan a Taiwan of the world. In conclusion, she also wished the Republic of China a happy 100th anniversary, good health, and many happy returns to all fellow citizens.
During the prelude, a number of non-government groups including the TBC dance troupe, and the We.R Taekwondo Demonstration Team took to the stage. Their performances conveyed strength and beauty through choreography, martial arts and background music worthy of movie blockbusters. The Joint Military Marching Band and MND Honor Guard conquered the audience on the day’s senses through their inspiring marching music, flawless rifle drill and formation marching skills.
High-speed Fleet Passes in V Formation
The National Taiwan Hakka Children’s Choir was joined by representatives from the police, firefighters, medical professionals and sports for the singing of the National Anthem. The CH-47SD helicopter from Army Aviation with the giant national flag slung underneath then flew by followed by AH-1W and AH-64E helicopters to mark the official start of the celebrations. The high-speed fleet made up of IDF, F-16V, and Mirage 2000 fighters in V formation were next. The audience on the day all rushed to capture the aircraft on their phones. Many students also pointed at the sky and said: “Look, mom! I want to become a pilot and protect the nation one day too.” Inspiring children to become pilots one day and defend the nation contributed to national defense education.
Display of Military Equipment and Demonstration R&D Prowess in Defense Technology
During the event, the Armed Forces put on display its epidemic prevention and disaster rescue equipment such as the MD-105 heavy chemical warfare vehicle and M3 pontoon bridge layer. A number of domestic defense projects such as the Thunderbolt-2000 rocket launcher vehicle was also shown to the public to emphasize the national strength of Taiwan. Next came a ticker tape parade of epidemic prevention, drought relief, and disaster rescue units from the Armed Forces, as well as heroes from the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. They not only waved to the audience but were also greeted with enthusiastic applause from the public. Many people waved the national flag in one hand while giving a big thumb’s up with their other hand to recognize these heroes for their hard work and contribution to the nation.
The highlight of the day was the high-speed flyby by five AT-3 trainer aircraft from the Air Force’s Thunder Tiger aerobatics team. The aircraft released blue, white and red smoke as they passed over the Office of the President to provide a fitting finale to the national day celebrations.
Source: Youth Daily News