>> this is a crisis. people are losing their lives. >> with police reform taking center stage in congress, watch our unfiltered coverage of the latest developments, plus the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic. 30,000,were going down 20,000, and then we stayed flat and now we are going up. >> briefings from the white house on foreign affairs. foreign administration officials. >> i think there is a line that should not be cross were governmental power is used exclusively for personal benefit. pres. trump: we will stand proud and stand tall. >> and the latest from the campaign 2020 trail. join in the conversation every day on our live call-in program, "washington journal". if you missed any of our live coverage, watch any on demand at c-span.org or listen on the go

with the free c-span radio app. >> on saturday, president trump and melania trump took part in the salute to america fourth of july celebration of the white house. this is an hour 20 minutes. president of the united states and first lady melania trump. ♪

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[cheers and applause] [cheers and applause] ♪

♪ [airplanes overhead] >> ladies and gentlemen, from the united states army golden knights, please welcome sergeant

first class ryan reese. ryan: mr. president, it is truly an honor to be here this evening. i would like to direct your attention overhead to the and arel sky behind us distinctly painted aircraft flying at an altitude of 12,500 feet. the jump master or team leader is looking out the door of the aircraft. the jumpers are out in the smoke is on. we have members of the army golden knights rapidly approaching speeds of 120 mile-per-hour. the initial part of the formation is called the base. it forms quickly as the jumpers use their hands, arms, legs and shoulders to safely complete the formation. they now separate and perform our maneuver. ladies and gentlemen, the highflying black and gold of your very own united states army parachute team, the golden

knights. [applause] ryan: the aerial demonstration you are seeing tonight is designed to showcase the maneuverability of the human body, as it flies through the air, and while under canopy. these jumpers are performing three separate maneuvers for you this evening. one, was a mass formation we witnessed. two will be a side by side canopy formation. three, the 1200 square-foot drop flag. jumpers performing this evening are sergeant first class trey kollek. sergeant first class chad riddlebaugh. performing our side-by-side canopy maneuver is staff sergeant morgan george. and, sergeant first class ryan orourke.

and finally, performing the difficult 1200 square-foot drop flag maneuver, the team leader of the demonstration team, flying the predominantly black and gold canopy, sergeant first class roman grijalva. [applause] at 1000 feet these jumpers can hear you very well. [loud cheers and applause] ladies and gentlemen, now our national anthem. >> 1, 2, 3, 4. [rapid drumming] ♪ >> ♪ oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming. whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, o'er the ramparts we

watched were so gallantly streaming. and the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night, that our flag was still there. oh, say can our star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave ♪ ♪ [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states. [applause] [explosions firing] [applause] pres. trump: wow, you having a good time? [applause] pres. trump: members of congress, members of my cabinet and my fellow americans, the first lady and i are delighted to welcome you to the second annual salute to america. [applause]

pres. trump: on this wonderful day, we celebrate our history, our heroes, our heritage, our great american flag, and our freedom. happy 4th of july to everyone. [applause] i want to thank that u.s. army golden knights for that truly awe-inspiring display, tremendous talent. the golden knights and the armed forces here this evening, we just want to say that you have earned the eternal gratitude of our entire nation. 244 years ago in philadelphia, the 56 signers of our declaration of independence pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to boldly proclaim this eternal

truth, that we are all made equal by god. [applause] thanks to the courage of those patriots on july 4, 1776, the american republic stands today as the greatest, most exceptional, and most virtuous nation in the history of the world. our workers, our factories have revolutionized industries and lifted millions into prosperity. our artists, architects, and engineers have inspired the globe with transcendent works of beauty. american heroes defeated the nazis, dethroned the fascists, toppled the communists, saved american values, upheld american

principles. and chased down the terrorists to the very ends of the earth. we are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the marxists, the anarchists the agitators, the looters, and people who in many instances have absolutely no clue what they are doing. [applause] our inventors, scientists, doctors, and researchers have improved the lives of billions and billions of people all around the world. our brave astronauts planted the american flag on the moon. and america will be the first nation to land on mars. [applause]

all americans living today are the heirs of this magnificent legacy. we are the descendents of the most daring and courageous people ever to walk on the face of the earth. we inherit their towering confidence, unwavering enthusiasm, their unbridled ambition, and their unrelenting optimism. this is the untamed spirit that built this glorious nation. and this is the spirit that burns brightly within the soul of every american. that is why we pay tribute to generations of american heroes, whose names are on our monuments and memorials and in the pages

of history and in the hearts of a very grateful people. we will never allow anyone to down ourmob to tear statues or erase our history, to indoctrinate our children or trample on our freedoms. [applause] we will safeguard our values. traditions, customs, and beliefs. we will teach our children to cherish and adore their country so they can build our future together. together we will fight for the american dream. and we will defend, protect and preserve american way of life, which began in 1492, when columbus discovered america.

and companies are coming back to our country like never before. beingwer of tariffs imposed on foreign lands have advantage of the united states for decades and decades have enabled us to make trade deals where there were none, tens of billions of dollars are now paid by the same to the united states treasury by these same countries. but there and then, we got hit by a virus that came from china, and we have made a lot of progress. our strategy is moving along well. andoes out in one area rears back its ugly face in another area, but we have learned a lot. we have learned how to put out the flame.

we have made ventilators where there were none by the tens of thousands, to the point that we have far more than we need, and we are now distributing them too many foreign countries as a gesture of goodwill. likewise, testing. there were no tests for a new virus, but now we have tested almost 40 million people. by so doing, we show cases, 99% of which are harmless results, results that no other country can show because no other country has been testing that we have, not in terms of the numbers. in now, just like everything else, we have become the

manufacturer on record for ventilators. we have the most and finest testing anywhere in the world. and we are producing gowns and masks and surgical equipment in it country, where hereto for was almost exclusively made in foreign lands, in particular, china, where, ironically, this virus and others came from. china's secrecy, deceptions and cover-up that allowed it to spread all over the world, 189 countries. in china must be held fully accountable. [cheers and applause] remedies, we are now doing unbelievably well and are in deep testing on vaccines, treatments, and therapeutics.

i want to send our thanks to the scientists and researchers around the country, and even around the world. who are at the forefront of our historic effort to rapidly develop and deliver life-saving treatments and, ultimately, a vaccine. we are unleashing our nation's scientific brilliance. and we will likely have a therapeutic and/or vaccine solution long before the end of the year. [applause] we are very grateful to be this evening by americans battling on the front lines to kill the virus. i want to say america thanks you. please stand. please. [applause] thank you very much.

great, brilliant people. these are great and brilliant people. thank you. and brave people. [applause] our movement is based on lifting all citizens to reach their fullest god-given potential. never forget we are one family. and one nation. this rich heritage belongs to everyone, young and old, first-generation, american, we want to go from first generation to 10th generation, it matters not, we are american, we are from the usa. [applause] this great heritage belongs to citizens of every background and of every walk of life, no matter our race, color, religion or creed, we are one america. and we put america first.

[cheers and applause] we will not allow anyone to divide our citizens by race or background. we will not allow them to foment hate. scored and distrust. we discord, and distrust. we will hold fast and true to the sacred loyalties that link us all as neighbors, as americans, and is patriots in every age. there have always been those who seek to lie about the past in order to gain power in the in the present. those who lie about our history or want us to be ashamed of who

we are not interested in justice or healing, their goal is demolition, our goal is not to destroy the greatest country on earth, what we have built, the united states of america. the bill the future where every family is safe, where every child is surrounded by love, where every community has equal opportunity, and every citizen enjoys great and everlasting dignity. our past is not a burden to be cast away. it is not a miraculous foundation that will lift us to the next great summit of human endeavor. this incredible story of progress is the story of each generation picking up where the time,inished, linked by fate, and the eternal bonds of our national affection.

those who would sever those bonds would cut us off from the wisdom, courage, love and devotion that gave us everything we are today, and everything we strive for tomorrow. we cannot let that happen. we will not throw away our he wrote we will honor them and we will prove worthy of their sacrifice. [applause] as great heroes. these are great heroes. let me also say to the media who falsely and consistently label their opponents as racist. , who condemn citizens who offer a clear and truthful defense of

american unity. that is what our people are doing, a clear and faithful history, anderican we want unity. when you level these false charges, you not only slander me , you not only slander the american people, but you slander generations of heroes who gave their lives for america. [applause] much braverpeople and more principled than you. you are slandering the young men iwo raise the flag at jima and those in the civil war who perished, and in other wars,

their memory. they fought and we will not let the legacy be tarnished. they didn't fight for those things. they they fought for the exact opposite. we will not allow these to be tarnished by you. the more you lie, the more you slander, the more you try to demean and divide, the more we will work hard to tell the truth, and we will win. [cheers and applause] live and demean and collude, the more credibility you lose. we want to bring the country a free and open media will make this task a very easy one.

our country will be united. after all, what do we all want? we want a strong military, great taxes,on, housing, low law & order. we want safety. we want equal justice. we want religious liberty. we want faith and family and living in great communities and heavy communities and safe communities, and we want great jobs, and we want to be respected by the rest of the world, not taken advantage of by the rest of the world, which has gone on for decade after decade. we should all want the same thing. how can it be any different than those things? the more bitter you become, the love andill appeal to

patriotism, and the more we will rise above your hate to build a better future for every child in our great country. to celebrate america's majestic heritage, yesterday i signed an executive order to create a brand-new monument to our beloved icons. the national and of american heroes will be a fast outdoor park that will feature the statues of the greatest .mericans who have ever lived we will honor extraordinary citizens from every community and from every place, and from every part of our nation. women,en and great people that we can look up to forever. families will be able to walk among the statues of titans and we have already selected the

first 30 legacies and 30 legends . ad why don't we start with man who has been very unfairly ,reated, who two years ago three years ago, especially five or six years ago, people would it is impossible to even attempt to try to disturb his incredible legacy and .uccess george washington. thomas jefferson. betsy ross. alexander hamilton. benjamin franklin. john adams. james madison. dolley madison. frederick douglass.

the great frederick douglass. abraham lincoln. harriet tubman. harriet beecher stowe. joshua lawrence chamberlain. clara barton. daniel boone. davy crockett. henry clay. susan b anthony. booker t. washington. orville and wilbur wright, who are looking down and you are going to see some planes like you have never seen before because we built them better than anyone in the world, the greatest air force the greatest fighters, the greatest everything. you are going to be seeing

something. i just wonder what orville and wilbur would have been thinking if they, ever got to see that , but they are looking. they are checking it out right now along with us. amelia earhart. [applause] a great athlete no matter where he went. he was the best athlete, jackie robinson. george s patton, general patton. he did not know how to lose. he did not know how to lose. general douglas macarthur. audie murphy. the great billy graham. man, respected by everybody, martin luther king. [applause] president ronald reagan. [applause] christa mcauliffe. and antonin scalia. [applause]

are just a few of the people we will be naming, and things are subject to change, but once we make that decision, those great names are going to they are never coming down. they have just been an incredible group. and we are going to do this in a very democratic way, frankly. we are going to take names and suggestions. we are going to have committees, and we are going to pick the greatest people this country has ever known, the most respected people, the people that helped us the most, and the people we can look up to and that our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren can look up to into the future and they can say, isn't america a tremendous place? so thank you. that will be very exciting. [applause] the patriots who built our country were not villains.

they were heroes whose courageous deeds improved the earth beyond measure. the beauty and glory of our constitutional system is that it gives the tools to fight injustice, to heal division and to continue the work of our founding fathers by expanding and growing the blessings of america. if you believe in justice, if you believe in freedom, if you believe in peace, then you must cherish the principles of our founding, and the text of our constitution. it is our founding and our constitution. it is a firm foundation upon which all progress is achieved. that is why our country is so strong, even despite terrible things that happen over the generations. here this evening a number of heroes who risked their lives to

uphold these values, and to keep our communities and our country safe. we are joined by the outstanding law enforcement officers who have been able to fight on the front lines protecting our cities, many of them facing violence assaults from very bad people. we are especially moved to be joined by the family of a fallen great man, fallen officer, a 38-year veteran of the st. louis police department who was killed last month and the city he devoted his life to defending. [applause] and to david's great family, i

want to thank you very much. the american people always support the courageous men and women of law enforcement, and nobody, nobody embodies that better than david. thank you very much. please. [applause] [cheering] and david is looking down right now, and he is so proud of you and he loves you so much. thank you for being here. a great man. a great man. finally tonight, we will salute

the greatness and loyalty and valor of men and women who have defended our independence for 240 four years. we will honor the amazing men and women of the united states military. [cheers and applause] never in history has the nation used so much power to advance so much good. battlefields across the world's and here at home are marked with gravestones of young patriots who spent their final valiant moments on this earth to secure liberty and peace. they child should be taught military heroes who fought and died to make us free. these are great, great people. these are great, great heroes, indeed. and our greatest heroes and leaders should be recognized and even immortalized for coming

generations to see, you know that. this will make our country even stronger long into the future. in a few moments, we will bear aircrafto all some representing every major military conflict over the last 75 years. these planes once launched off massive aircraft carriers, and the fiercest battles of world war ii. raced through the skies of korea's mig alley. they carried american warriors into the fields of vietnam. they delivered a victory that was swift and sweeping in operation desert storm. a lot of you were involved in

that, a lot of you were involved. that was a quick one. and they have gone on to dangerous missions all around the world to take out enemy terrorists and bring our soldiers home safely. as you know, we have killed, this last year, the two leading terrorists of the last 10 years, al bagdadi and suleimani. killed, gone, over. [applause] we worked to rebuild the armed forces of the united states. nobody else stands a chance. $2.5 trillion we have invested, all made in the usa. anything nearhad the power and equipment we have right now. we did that over the last three years. anywhere these aircraft have rainedthey have

down thunder and fiercely defended every square inch of american sovereignty. we see the story of america's daring defiance, its soaring spirit and undying resolved. throughout our history our country has been tested and tried, but we have always taught .ought to victory whenever our way of life has been threatened, our ancestors have responded with the same resounding answer as those who first fought for independence. we are americans and we never back down. we never give in. and we never give up. and we will never yield in defense of our nation. we love our nation. .e will only fight to win today, we thank god for the gift of life and for the blessing of

liberty. we honor the legends of our history, the glories of our founding fathers, and the giants of the past, and the heroes of today who keep us safe, who keep us strong and proud, and who keep us free. once again, happy july 4 to all. our country is in great shape. our military has never been stronger. and many, many good things are going to happen. next year will be one of the greatest years we have ever had. i want to thank our men and women. they are so good. the national park service, air traffic control, and the united states military, god bless you. god bless our heroes. god bless america. and now, let the flyovers begin. thank you very much. [cheers and applause] thank you.

[cheers and applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome world-renowned airshow announcer robert ryder as he walks us through our salute of airpower from world war ii to the future. please enjoy. >> good evening, i am honored to be your narrator for an aerial review to celebrate our independence day. our flyovers tonight will showcase airpower across time. look at the screens and look above. ♪

representing world war ii, we were brought into world war ii by the bombing of pearl harbor, approaching first, two important airplanes known as c 47s the military designation for the douglas dc3, the airliner that change the way america travels -- dc3, carrying 28 paratroopers they were also involved in the d-day invasion. over 1000 and that operation on june 6, 1944. 10,000 of these aircraft were built. ♪ [military tribute music] as a move from heritage to horizons, continuing in world war ii, one of those famous aircraft of all time in the center of this formation, the boeing b-17 bomber. over 12,700 were built, flying daring daylight raids over europe, bombing military and industrial targets in nazi held europe. on the wings the escort fighters, among the most well-known aircraft of all time, the north american aviation 51

mustang. they were flown by the famed tuskegee airmen. the tuskegee airmen flew 15,000 sorties in north africa and europe during the war. engines, the liquid cooled rolls-royce design and those aircraft. ♪ of the 15,000 p-51's built between 1941-1945, 160 remain flyable today. then senator harry truman called the mustang the most aerodynamically perfect pursuit plane in existence. at the beginning of the war, a

great deal of our effort went to our allies in europe who are were being overrun by nazi germany. the c 47's we saw were not only active in the european theater, but along with the naval count part were key to the campaigns and while canal and germany to support forces. of greater importance was the use of c 47s to haul urgently needed personnel and supplies including fuel and munitions in all theaters of the war. the c 47 flew hump missions over the himalayas from india to china, leading to the many of the tactics that would be used in the berlin airlift, from 1948-1949. as the war in europe wound down,

the p-51 mustang became more common. with the capture of iwo jima it was used as the bomber escort during boeing super fortress missions. our fighting men and women were being pounded by the japanese at every turn in the pacific. they and those at home needed a morale boost. president roosevelt put his military planners at work on an audacious plan to bomb japan, that island country had not been attacked on its own soil in 2000 years, and they felt invincible. depending on whose account you read, a general from the army air force and lt. col. doolittle hatched a plan, that the general initially laughed out but after a while thought it might work, to involve types of military hardware never intended to work together. on april 18, 1942, four months

after pearl harbor, two of these aircraft, the b-25 bomber that normally took a third about mile to take off were launched from the u.s. aircraft carrier hornet in only 467 feet. the damage that these airplanes did to the japanese homeland was minimal, but their feeling of invincibility was broken. it was a strategic turning point in the war and remains to this day the air mission against wish all other air missions have been measured. the largest plane in our army air force inventory in world war ii was the 99 foot long, 140 feet wingspan of the boeing

b-29 super fortress. it pushed the bounds of technology with a pressurized crew compartment, and a radically advanced analog fire control system that allowed one gunner and a fire control officer to direct for remote machine gun turrets. the super fortress would have the greatest impact of any aircraft in the pacific theater. on august 6, 1929, a b-29, named enola gay, dropped a bomb as did another three days later. leading to the end of the war in the pacific. of the 4000 b-29's built, you are seeing one of only two flying today. ladies and gentlemen, the war in europe and the pacific from heritage to horizon. [drumming] the korean war, the conflict between the people's republic of

korea and the republic of korea , south korea, reached proportions in 1950, when north korea ,supplied by the soviet union, invaded the south. the united nations with the united states as a principal participant joined the war on the side of the south korea and that people's republic came to aid. aerial warfare was a large factor in korea. it was the first jet war. piston engine aircraft were still used in a great way during the korean conflict, and as we see that b-29 flying off to the side, in a moment we will see an airplane known as the a-26 invader, initially designed to replace three other twin engine world war ii airplanes.

it was so good, it serves ably in world war ii, korea and vietnam. ♪ it flew the first and last combat missions in the korean conflict, and as a light bomber and attack aircraft, invaders typically bombed convoys and trains, it also engaged mig fighters. the 218 cylinder pratt & whitney radial engines with 2000 horsepower each gave the invader the capability of carrying munitions at 350 mile-per-hour. in 1940, we built what was then the fastest single engine aircraft ever built, the f4u corsair, the bent-wing bird as

it was known. it achieved a forward speed of 400 mph, with its 2000 horsepower r2800 pratt & whitney radial engine. japanese soldiers dubbed at wessling death because of the sound it made during ground attack missions. ♪ it racked up an 11-1 aerial victory and remained in production longer than any other piston driven fighter with the last one coming off the production line in late 1952. ♪ in late 1952, september of that year, a marine captain shot down a mig 15 jet and was awarded the silver star. 12,571 were built by companies including the goodyear tire and rubber company. ♪ at the beginning of the

conflict, our lockheed shooting stars were totally outclassed by the russian mig. we rushed into production a swept-wing fighter called the f-86 sabre jet. it racked up a better than 10-1 victory ratio, but sadly the f-86 that we had hoped to have flying here this evening came up with a mechanical problem and was unable to be here. coming through on the screens now from the right, you can see the douglas invader, the light bomber. in the picture with it, you can see the bent wing bird on that corsair with the huge engine and huge propeller and then from p-51 to f-51 as the new designation of the young united states air force that served

during the korean conflict. let's listen. [drums] >> moving on to vietnam, the vietnam war pitted the communist government of north vietnam against south vietnam. during the war, the united states relied on helicopter in conflict as never before. it truly became the helicopter war. many of you will remember the tv show and movie "mash" about the mobile surgical hospitals during the korean conflict. they were transported with a bubble canopy helicopter, it became indispensable greatly increasing the survivability of wounded soldiers on the battlefield by airlifting them to the mass units.

in 1965, the army began testing and developing new techniques to enhance future war fighting capabilities. helicopter tactics developed in korea were adapting and evolving to support a new concept, air mobility. and here they come. huey, an estimated 11,000 took to the skies for almost 19 years. they flew slick troop carriers, gunship missions and attacks and medical evaluation. the ones we see flying today are from the first helicopter squadron by joint base andrews. last december, they celebrated their 50th anniversary. coming through after that, developed from the u.h.1, these are the cobras, the first helicopter designed from the

skids up to be an attack helicopter. and following that, the heavy lift c.h.47 chinook with an incredible capability to carry nearly 22,750 pounds underneath the aircraft. it was 1947 that this airplane was first thought of and it was in 1948 that boeing designers in one weekend came up with this incredible design of an airplane that has now been flying for the united states air force for 68 years. swept-wing, the ability to go over 8,000 miles at speeds of over 600 miles per hour, this, ladies and gentlemen, one of the triad of the air force's bomber capabilities, the b-52 strato fortress.

dropping tens of thousands of tons of bombs during the vietnam conflict, it was known as the buff, the big ugly fat fellow, and all 744 were built. 75 still remain in service today and is expected to remain so until 2040. i am told that grandfathers, sons, and grandsons have all flown the b-52 bomber in the course of those 68 years. moving now to desert storm, and in august of 1910, iraqi forces under the control of saddam hussein invaded in the mideast. they were overwhelmed by the

iraqi republican guard divisions and in the coming months, the united states led a coalition to force the withdrawal of iraqi forces from kuwait. on a dark, quiet morning in january, only feet above the kuwaiti desert, eight apache helicopters from the 101 airborne division fired the first shots of operation desert storm. apaches destroyed two early iraqi radar sites and setting conditions for the beginning of the larger air campaign by the air force and the navy. the apache, still the most advanced attack helicopter today, is commonly referred to as a flying tank, able to survive in highly contested environments while inflicting maximum damage to enemy targets day or night in poor weather conditions. also serving in that war, the u.h.60 blackhawk helicopter, the

army's utility tactical transport helicopter. the blackhawk can transport an entire 11 person fully equipped squad to battle. over the years, they have been constantly upgraded with more powerful engines and other improvements. here come the heroes. and as they approach, let me tell you about the next airplanes coming through, ever since world war i, the first air war where the average life of a fighter pilot was only three weeks, achieving air superiority has been the goal of military an airplane that first flew in 1972 and entered service in 1976 has long been considered an air superiority fighter, the f-15 eagle, capable of speeds of two times the speed of zone,

2.5, or for us non-fighter 1875 miles per hour. the single seat f-15c and its younger brother, the two seat f-15 everyone strike eagle have dominated the skies in any situation with power, maneuverability and a wide variety of weapons. it's kill ratio is unmatched, 104 aerial combat victories and zero losses. the incredible thrust to weight ratio of the eagle enables it to set a number of world records including a time to climb record of 98,400 feet, that's 18 1/2 miles in just under 2 1/2 minutes. the strike eagle utilizes a second crew member and advance radar to become the lethal aircraft. at the beginning of the gulf war, flying 100 feet above desert sand, lights out to take

out saddam's early warning radars. overhead now, we see the apache helicopters followed by the u.h.60 blackhawks. and here come the eagles! i know a lot of you have your cameras up, but if you don't, how about a round of applause for what we have seen thus far? the events of september 11, 2001 changed the world and forever reshaped history.

our brave servicemen and women are still committed to keeping americans safe today and approaching in just a moment are a few of the many aircraft that have served vital roles in the war on terrorism. the father of the modern helicopter overcome significant aerodynamic and physics challenges in his development of rotary wing flight. without getting into a lot of mind-numbing stuff, a phenomenon called retreating blade stall has always limited the speed at which a helicopter can travel. the holy grail would be to develop an aircraft that could take off and land vertically but be able to fly as fast as a conventional airplane. in the 1980's, the aircraft that developed the mass helicopter and the huey and the cobra experimented with a very unique concept called tilt rotor in which large prop loaders would -- prop rotors would be directly connected to the engines and rotated vertically

for helicopter mode flight and move into horizontal position to obtain conventional airplane flight. the result is the osprey, an aircraft that can deliver 24 fully equipped troops in the battle space at speeds of over 300 miles an hour and land like an helicopter. its load lifting capability are significant, 9,000 pounds or 15,000 pounds externally. the pilot of the osprey has to have his or her left thumb working because if it doesn't, they can't rotate those prop rotors down. the unmistakable sound of the m.v.22 osprey. ♪

>> an integral part of the team fighting the global war on terror is the u.s. coast guard that has the responsibility of patrolling and protecting 100,000 miles of u.s. coastline and inland waterways, in existence since 1970, the 790, the tence since 1 smallest branch of our military, in fact, the entire active duty force to the coast guard could fit into nationals park. here we say in formation in the lead the jayhawk and the m.h.65 dolphin helicopter. the coast guard has also projected its capabilities beyond our border providing security and interdiction in the persian gulf.

carrying the largest conventional payload of weapons in the united states inventory is the multimission b1b, along with the b52 and b2 are the three legged stool of america's strategic long range bomber force. the b-1 lancer, or the bone as it known, look at this -- 151-foot wingspan can fold them back to 78 feet. that, ladies and gentlemen, is the sound of freedom! ♪

>> and only a few airplanes were so successful that their names were passed down to a second generation of aircraft. the two airplanes built on long island have that distinction. from world war ii, with the republic p-47 thunderbolt and 30 years later, the fairchild republic thunderbolt 2, the warthog was built around a very potent seven-barrelled canyon, cannon, firing 30 millimeter shells at 4,000 per minute, 65 rounds each second. it totally earned its name tank killer. the future is now. since the early days of aviation, air crews have wanted to get more gas without having to land and keep going. early attempts to refuel in midair involved a guy standing on the wing of an airplane while another flew overhead dangling a hose. but over the years, the art of aerial refueling or if i may use the indelicate phrase passing gas has become defined.

there are three different airplanes tasked with this job. one of those, the k.c.135 strato tanker, passing gas as 1,200 gallons per minute, 25% then the only k.p.135, a marvel of modern technology. it is kind of like going from a car with a cassette player to a brand new vehicle with apple car play. it will have increased cargo, passenger, and evacuation capabilities. as we looked at several generations of airplanes in the last half-hour and i have been talking about them at air shows around the world, the last thing that was thought of by military

planners, maybe the first thing, how many airplanes would it take to destroy a target. now it's changed. it's how many aircraft, how many targets can one aircraft destroy. approaching now one of the most unique aircraft even in service since 2003, this is the b-2 spirit, following along behind the k.c.46. and the aircraft now in sight, a flying wing, jack northrop's dream from 1949 with a 186-foot wing span, it can carry conventional bombs from 500 pounders or even the 30,000 pound massive ordinance penetrator to nuclear weapons,

the b-2 -- only 20 of them in existence will continue to serve our country for many years to come. overhead now, the f-22 raptor. the raptor's two engines produced a total of 70,000 pounds of thrust, and its design allow it to accelerate faster than the speed of sound without using the afterburner. it's called the super cruise. it shows incredible maneuverability, able to do a back flip almost standing still in the air at 3,000 feet or doing a tail slide, no straight up going backwards under complete control. and the newest fighter aircraft for the united states military is the f-35 lightning 2, named after the famed world war ii

b-38 lightning. one for the air force, one for the navy, one for the marine corps, and eight partner nations share the planes as well. they give the u.s. and the allies to dominate the skies anytime anywhere. it's an agile fighter that combines stealth, sensor fusion and unprecedence of situational awareness. the f-35 helmet mounted display is the most advanced system of its kind. all of the intelligence and targeting information an f-35 pilot needs to complete the mission is displayed on the helmet's visor. and six super sensitive cameras mounted on the outside of the aircraft allow her or him to look in any direction and have visual acute far greater than the naked eye day or night. the pilot can look down on the floor of the cockpit and see right through it. it's like x-ray vision, simply astounding. we'll see today two of the b models from the united states

marine corps, but in all, over 535 of the f-35s are now flying today with over 1,000 pilots and having reached initial operating capability here in the united states. ladies and gentlemen, no aerial display would be complete without some very good friends of mine. they represent the greatest military jet demonstration teams on the face of the earth. they are from naval air station pensacola, they are the blue angels, and they are the

thunderbirds from air force base in nevada. they commanded by commander brian kesselring, and the thunderbirds led by lieutenant general john caldwell. the fighting falcon has been in service with the united states since the 1970's. and the blue angels flying the famed f-a.18 hornets also in service with the united states navy and marine corps since the 1970's as well. i want you to join with me as we wait for these aircraft to approach. they have been flying missions all over the country supporting the work done by so many during this covid crisis. [drums]

>> the blue angels exemplify and the thunderbirds served to represent all the men and women of united states air force as our ambassadors in blue. ladies and gentlemen, the thunderbirds and the blue angels! [drumming]

>> put your hands together for the blues and the birds! >> ladies and gentlemen, the president's own united states marine band and the navy sea chanters will now perform a special selection in honor of our nation's birthday, "america the beautiful." ♪ >> ♪ oh, beautiful for spacious skies

for amber waves of grain for purple mountain majesty above the fruited plains ♪ america, america, god shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea

♪ oh, beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears ♪

america, america, god shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand and turn your attention to the white house. ♪

>> ladies and gentlemen, please join us in the singing of "god bless america"! ♪ god bless america land that i love stand beside her and guide her to the light from above from the mountains to the prairies to the ocean white with foam god bless america, my home sweet home god bless america, my home sweet home ♪

[applause] ["stars and stripes forever"] ♪

♪

♪ >> the presidents. available now in paperback and e-book. biographies of every presidents organized by their ranking by noted historians from best to worst.

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