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July 14 (UPI) -- Marking the start of the French Revolution in 1789 and the United States' involvement in World War I a century ago, President Donald Trump joined French leader Emmanuel Macron for Paris' annual Bastille Day parade on Friday. This year's fete down the Champs Élysées was decidedly more American than in years past, with the president and first lady Melania Trump in attendance, and a contingent of U.S. troops marching down the parade route.
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About 190 members of the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force took part, including the Army's 1st Infantry Division, which was founded in 1917 when the United States entered World War I.
Large crowds usually line the famed Paris street for the celebration, but some attended this year just for a chance to see Trump.
Fréderic Audes told NBC News he traveled to Paris from the suburbs to see the parade and the U.S. president.
"This year the parade has double the symbolism and it shows there is still a strong link between France and the United States," he said.
Trump and Macron observed the parade sitting next to one another in the grand stand at the Place de la Concorde. One day earlier, the two held a bilateral meeting and answered questions at a press conference.
The two pledged to work together on counter-terrorism and environmental efforts.
Bastille Day marks the storming of the Bastille military in prison in 1789, an event that would spark the French Revolution. After the celebration, the Trumps were expected to return to the United States by Friday afternoon.
