The King Presides Over the Armed Forces Day Events in Valladolid

Their Majesties the King and Queen with the Prince and Princess of Asturias (Photo:Ángel Manrique/Army Communication Department)

Hoisting up the Flag in Valladolid (Photo:Ángel Manrique/Army Communication Department)

Cavalry Academy colour during the oath of allegiance (Photo:Ángel Manrique/Army Communication Department)

The opening notes of the National Anthem were heard in a Valladolid ‘Plaza Mayor’ square jam-packed with people while resounding in the distance was the 63rd Field Artillery Regiment Honour Salute Battery’s 21 gun salute, which marked the beginning of the principal ceremony in the Armed Forces Day celebration on 2nd June, presided over by Their Majesties the King and Queen, accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Asturias.

The tribute ceremony to the Flag and to those who have given their lives for Spain has meant the first reappearance of the King in a public event outside the Zarzuela Palace following his hip operation and the citizens that had gathered in the capital of Valladolid showed him support on his arrival with affectionate and prolonged applause. 
 

In the square there were four honour platoons in formation, belonging to the Army –from the 61st Logistic Support Group- the Navy, the Air Force and the Civil Guard, at the command of a captain from 12th Reconnaissance Cavalry Regiment ‘Farnesio’, the unit also contributing the Honour Squad and the Colour..  The King’s Immemorial 1st Infantry Regiment Military Band completed the Force. 
 

The Joint Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Fernando García Sánchez, was in charge of reviewing the formation, which was completed by the arrival of the Colonel’s Colours of the units that participated in the Spanish War of Independence, dressed in period uniforms and escorted by mounted Royal Guard.  
 

Then, as is traditional, the Flag that was hoisted in the centre of the square arrived from the sky, borne by paratroopers from the Air Force Acrobatic Paratroops Patrol. 
 

After the tribute to the Flag, the celebration’s most moving moment arrived:  relatives of the 12 fallen on active service in the last year gathered in front of the monolith where a wreath had just been placed in their memory, while in the sky, the Eagle Patrol traced the Spanish Flag.  After the conclusion of the ceremonies, the King and Queen, Prince and Princess, the minister of Defence and the Joint Chief of the Defence Staff greeted them personally.

 Oath of Allegiance to the Flag with Wet Weather

Before this principal ceremony there was the oath of allegiance to the Flag in which over five hundred people publicly demonstrated their commitment to the defence of Spain, on 1st June, and had to cope with an uninvited guest; the rain that fell on Valladolid just when the ceremony was being undertaken. 

On this occasion, presiding were the mayor of Valladolid, Mr. Francisco J. León de la Riva, and the Joint Chief of the Defence Staff.

The mayor himself was also the first to take the oath of allegiance, followed by the government delegate to Castille and León, Mr. Ramiro Ruiz Medrano, along with other civilian authorities.  Among the participants in the ceremony, there were 313 men and 222 women.  Most were between the ages of 30 and 59.

Among the Flags and Colours present along the ‘Paseo de Recoletos’ Avenue in Valladolid, on behalf of the Army was that of the Cavalry Academy, situated in this city.  As well in the Honour Squad there was a 61st Logistic Support Group platoon.

An Austere Celebration

This year, the organisation of the principal ceremony of Armed Forces Day has fallen to the Army, and it has been co-ordinated from the 4th Deputy Army Inspection General, with outstanding collaboration from 12th Regiment ‘Farnesio’ and the Cavalry Academy.

Despite having suppressed the parade and the austerity that has been present throughout  the ceremony and event undertakings, the warmth of the public who gathered in Valladolid and the continuous cheers that could be heard to the Armed Forces, the Army and the Royal Family allowed for describing the event as a success and assuring that the aim of this holiday, which is none other than making public the fine harmony existing between Spanish society and its Armed Forces, which continue to be one of the most valued institutions, has once again  been fulfilled.

Events Throughout Spain

As well as the principal events in Valladolid, events with civilian participation have been carried out throughout Spain:  among many others, on Saturday 26th May, an oath of allegiance to the Flag on the Infantry Academy parade ground, in Toledo; on Thursday 31st May, a concert by the Music Unit and Legion Military Band in the ‘Maestro Padilla’ auditorium, in Almería, and a Historical Tattoo though the city streets of La Coruña; on Friday 1st June, the oath of allegiance to the Flag on Base ‘Álvarez de Sotomayor’ in Viator (Almería), or the concert by the Balearic General Command in the ‘Santa Margarita’ cloister in Palma de Mallorca; and on Sunday, 3rd June, during  the open day on  Araca Base in Vitoria, the oath of allegiance in the City Hall Square in Logroño (La Rioja), or the traditional  Benzú-Africa Square race in Ceuta.

Armed Forces Day Continues

And there are still some events pending, within the scope of the 2012 Armed Forces Day celebrations throughout the month of June:  next Saturday 9th June on Base ‘Palacio de Buenavista’, Army Headquarters, in Madrid, and on Base Cerro Muriano, in Córdoba; on 16th June, to coincide with the 140th anniversary of the creation of 45th Regiment ‘Garellano’, on Base ‘Soyeche’, in Munguía (Vizcaya); and also on 16th June in ‘Plaza de Oriente’ square in Madrid.