Happy Birthday Moldova

Roughly 1,500 troops marched on Saturday, August 27, in the Great Assembly Square in the Moldovan capital Chisinau at a parade dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the country's proclamation of independence, Info-Prim Neo reports. Defense Minister Vitalie Marinuta kicked off the parade, saluting the troops aligned in 12 columns. Against a chorus of hurrays, doves were released into the sky together with thousands of tricolor balloons symbolizing the national flag. After a congratulatory speech delivered by acting President Marian Lupu the troops started to march in a cadenced pace. The parade was spearheaded by the Honor Guards, who held the national flag of Moldova and a replica of medieval ruler Stephen the Great's battle flag. The procession continued with a detachment of veterans who participated in the 1992 war, followed by a unit of Defense Ministry officers, a detachment of the Stephen the Great Infantry Brigade, the 22nd “Blue Helmets” Battalion, the Special Operations Brigade “Fulger”, Border Guards troops, cadets of the Police Academy “Stefan cel Mare”, a detachment of MoI's Carabineer Troops and cadets of the Military Academy “Alexandru cel Bun”. The troops were followed by 86 armored and launcher vehicles. The rearguard was formed by a brass orchestra. Preparations for the parade started in June and included three massive rehearsals. The Moldovan Government allocated 9 million lei for new uniforms, vehicle repairs and other costs related to the parade.