The Parade and War

Since its birth in 1924, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has weathered each war involving America, excepting a three year hiatus during World War II. The parade’s predominant response to the threat of war has been to celebrate America’s valor and distinction more than it otherwise would.

Though the United States was not involved in World War II until the end of 1941, the nation’s sensitivity to the threat of war was reflected in the parade at least a year beforehand. In 1940, the parade brought out two of its mightiest helium-filled characters, Superman and Uncle Sam. Contributing to the patriotic tone of the event, Eddy Duchin led a band in playing “The Star Spangled Banner” in front of the unveiled Macy’s window. The following year, the appearance of 48 men in colonial costume, each carrying a state flag, and the performance of the national anthem while the parade’s hero, Santa, stood in salute, were part of the general effort to mobilize the nation’s morale. In 1942, the parade’s balloons were donated to the war effort for their rubber. A similar demonstration of national pride was present in the parade in 1947 as the Cold War began to materialize and the US contended with the Soviet Union for world supremacy. The parade included a flag float featuring an American flag accompanied by the flags of the 48 states. Attending the float were 20 colonial costumed girls.

Succeeding wars involving America weren’t met with such a unified home-front. Conflicting attitudes toward America’s international affairs in conjunction with mounting unrest about internal social and racial issues put the Macy’s Parade in an awkward position as a proponent of American unity. Its predominant response to these divisions was to keep a low profile.

A comprehensive portrait of activities taking place in America on Thanksgiving Day 1969 illustrates the difference in the way the parade responded to external and internal threats.
When the nation has been threatened by entities outside its borders, the parade has traditionally responded by taking its patriotic symbols off the shelf and parading them down Broadway. On the contrary, when disavowal of American practices has come from the nation's own members, the parade has quietly turned its head. Perhaps when the parade cannot aid in bolstering American unity, it adheres to its chief duty of entertaining.

For example, on Thanksgiving Day in 1969, while demonstrations against certain current affairs were taking place in New York City and in other locations across the nation, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade dismissively continued with business as usual. In Manhattan, the Vegetarian Society of New York held its 38th annual Vegetarian Thanksgiving meal in opposition to the exploitation of animals. On the other side of the country, in Los Angeles, the California Federation of Young Democrats, in solidarity with the country’s poor, observed a 24-hour fast. Nearby, in San Francisco, a multi-tribal group of American Indians occupied Alcatraz as a way of demanding Federal funds

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[References]
[1] Martin Arnold, "Thanksgiving, 1969: Frolic, Worship; Feast and Fast," New York Times (1857-Current file), Nov 28, 1969, ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2002), 32.
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[Images]
Iwo Jima: courtesy of <http://oibfun.com/flashbulb/>
Alcatraz: courtesy of <http://luciano.stanford.edu/~erji/air.html>