Over 60 groups that include dignitaries, vehicles, marching units and floats are participating in the 2008 Liberation Day Parade, which starts at 2pm today.
“The traditional Liberation Day actually at time was labeled as U.N Day parade, and it was usually on October 24 of every year. Only until July 4, 1977, when the Liberation Day Committee was officially established and since then, every year on July 4, the Liberation Day festivities is to remind the residents when our people were liberated from the concentration camp at Camp Susupe on July 4, 1946,” said Tudela, in an interview yesterday.
“It was that very day that our residents were able to go back to their farms and residence to rebuild a new life,” he said.
“The parade will start at 2pm from the National Office Supply store on Beach Road on South Garapan and will proceed on down to the Liberation Day festivities site at the Garapan Fishing Base,” he said.
This year, new groups will be participating in the Parade.
“Every year we have something that we may have never seen in the past. Like this year, we have participants from as far as India that will participate. We appreciate their time to perform on the grounds nightly and during the parade. Their first performance was Wednesday night. We welcome them all to our beautiful island,” said Tudela.
Despite there being only seven floats this year, the contest is still competitive.
“Float competitions have been very competitive in a sense that participants will try to come up with ingenuity the use of natural materials, and most especially they will try to be very close about the significance of the Liberation Day or its theme. Usually floats will depict the real meaning of Liberation Day,” said Tudela.
After the parade, a Liberation Day ceremony follows at the main stage area. This year’s keynote speaker will be Rear Admiral William French of the U.S Naval Forces Marianas.
Tudela reminds the community not to forget an important part of CNMI’s history.
“I would like the residents to know that this is the most important event in the history of the CNMI as it brings back the memories about the Battles of Saipan and Tinian. The battles are considered as the fiercest battles in the entire Pacific,” said Tudela.
“Hundreds of our residents have died. Many of our people still living today will shed tears from their eyes when they talk about the ravages of the war. Many whose parents died during the war, many still remember about the warplanes hovering above the dark caves in the deep jungle of Saipan in the middle of the night or early in the morning at dawn,” he said.
“We should appreciate living in a very peaceful community. So I invite everyone to bring the whole family down to the Liberation Day grounds for a day of enjoyment and relaxation,” he added.
