NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Donald Trump will take the oath of office to become the 47th President of the United States Monday, and Tennesseans are present in the nation’s capital to support the transfer of power.
According to the Tennessee National Guard, 150 soldiers and airmen left from the Volunteer Training Site in Smyrna on Friday and arrived in the capital to help ensure safety during the proceedings. They joined more than 8,000 National Guardsmen supporting the inauguration.
In a press release, Tennessee Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Warner Ross said, “This is an exciting opportunity for our Soldiers and Airmen to be part of this defining moment of American democracy. We have a long history of supporting the U.S. presidential inauguration and I am proud of our Guardsmen who volunteered to represent Tennessee and support our nation during this historic event.”
The Tennessee National Guard shared photos of the sendoff.
Additionally, the Stewarts Creek High School band is representing Rutherford County at the historic event. The band was initially invited to perform at the Inaugural Parade, however, the event was canceled last week after it was announced the inauguration would take place inside the Capitol Rotunda.
SCHS principal Dr. Clark Harrell shared an update Friday that the Presidential Inaugural Committee notified him that due to weather and the movement of events, the invited high school bands will not be able to participate.
Harrell said in the spirit of resilience and because a vast majority of the travel expenses were non-refundable, the band still traveled to Washington, D.C.
On Monday, Principal Harrell announced the band will participate in the modified parade.
In a reversal, the Presidential Inaugural Committee has notified us that the SCHS Band WILL perform in the inaugural parade today at Capitol One Arena. We are immensely grateful for the Tennessee Congressional Delegation and all the support they have given us this weekend. We could not be prouder of our students and staff and are excited to see them showcased on this national stage today.
Principal Clark Harrell
News 2 joined the send-off for the students on Sunday morning.
“The community is behind this, we’re going to go anyway,” said SCHS Assistant Principal Todd Harris. “It’s a great opportunity for these students to have, an amazing experience around something as special as an inauguration.”
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This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.
