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Bomb-carrying fighter jets were reviewed; armored vehicles stalled during the parade
At the founding ceremony of New China, the PLA had only 17 aircraft. Besides undergoing review, these aircraft were also on missions and needed to be constantly on alert for enemy air strikes. As a result, during the review, four fighters carried bombs. According to international practice, no troop should carry bombs during military parades. Thus China¡¯s bomb-carrying aircraft during military review was unprecedented.
Moreover, there was another episode in the air force review. Due to the small number of aircraft, after flying across Tiananmen Square, the first formation returned for a second review. As a result, some aircraft had been reviewed twice, and people thought that a total of 26 aircraft had been reviewed.
During the founding ceremony military parade, the tanks and armored vehicles that were reviewed had been made from components from various countries. Although they had been refitted and repaired, an armored vehicle still stalled at Xihuamen Gate, west of Tiananmen Square due to mechanical problems. The driver in the car behind the stalled vehicle thought quickly and pushed the broken-down car to West Chang¡¯an Street with his car. This is an embarrassing memory.
The different meanings of ¡°horse-drawn cannons¡±
During the founding ceremony, the cannons were drawn by horses as vehicles were not sufficient, and this became a classic scene. At that time, the cavalry division was composed of three cavalry regiments and a 75 millimeter artillery battalion, which was drawn by horses. These horses had been trained rigorously. Some of them carried a bag on their cruppers to prevent them from leaving excrement in Chang¡¯an Street.
During the military parade in 1951, special arrangements were made for the artillery division: some of them were pulled by motor vehicles and others by horses. However, this time it was not due to a lack of cars but as a symbol of the People¡¯s Liberation Army¡¯s development from horses to automobiles.
The two different occasions when ¡°horse-drawn cannons¡± were reviewed had different meanings, reflecting the growth and change of New China. The cavalry also withdrew from the National Day military parade following its last appearance in 1954.
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