Marine Corps officer candidates participate in the Montford Point Challenge at Officer Candidate School at Marine Corps Base Quantico on June 23, 2026, in Quantico, Virginia. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)
By Randy DeSoto July 7, 2026 at 8:35am
A New York U.S. Marine Corps Reserve unit participated in an American flag run through Central Park in New York City on Sunday evening to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday.
What a wonderful thing to see, especially after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani trashed the United States as a land of inequality and racism in his pre-250th remarks, seated at George Washington’s presidential desk, no less, on Friday.
The 2.5-mile “Positive Patriotism” event hosted by Florida-based Unify USA started at Umpire Rock. It included a unit from the Brooklyn Reserve Marines running in formation in the front, military-style, as one of them led in cadence calls.
WATCH: NYC FLAG RUN and Rally held in Central Park one day after America 250th birthday.
US Marines are leading a large crowd with American Flags on a run through Central Park in NYC – the group who organized the run is Unify USA – Who want to bring the country together with… pic.twitter.com/sKLjfwdKs7
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) July 5, 2026
The Marines knocked out push-ups together, in unison, at the event, as several dozen gathered around holding the American flag. Then civilians could be seen joining in as well.
Footage also showed a much larger group, perhaps hundreds, walking through Central Park, carrying the American flag and chanting, “USA, USA, USA!”
A Unify USA video posted on Facebook called it the largest American flag run in New York City’s history, with 600 participants.
Koston McCoy, with Unify USA, spoke to the runners at the event, saying, “There are Americans in this country that care, whether it’s New York City, whether it’s Tampa, Florida, whether it’s Boise, Idaho, I don’t care where you at. There are Americans that care in this country, and we are here to exemplify that.”
The group’s website says, “We started UNIFY because we got tired of waiting on somebody else to say the obvious thing. You can love this country and the people in it without apologizing for either one.”
In a similar show of American pride, the “Relay for America” featured runners carrying the American flag from the West Coast in San Francisco across the country for 20 straight days, 24 hours a day, arriving in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, July 4.
The Relay for America continues!!
Now passing through Fairmount, Indiana.
Getting closer to DC, arriving by the Fourth! 🎇🎆 🧨
I just love this.
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 https://t.co/UEeASD3efq pic.twitter.com/DKWSFyLBZ9— 🦊The SLY Silver Fox 2.0🦊 (@FreedomHasWon) June 30, 2026
“Relay for America has a really simple mission, which is uniting Americans one mile at a time,” Joe Nail, co-founder of the relay and member of the U.S. Army National Guard, said last month.
“I think that there’s this narrative that people like to talk about all the things that are wrong with America. And really, the spirit of this relay is showing all the things that are right with America,” he added.
Relay for America ran the American flag from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. Their ambitious journey lasted 20 days and nights and covered more than 3,000 miles. And for the last few miles this morning, @TonyDokoupil joined them on their mission. pic.twitter.com/AEr6S0p6k9
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) July 4, 2026
Wyatt Moss, a 24-year-old marathoner and co-founder of Relay for America, told CBS News on Saturday that the thousands who participated in the undertaking across the nation show “the American spirit is alive and well!”
It’s all very heartwarming to see. God bless America!
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Randy DeSoto has written more than 4,000 articles for The Western Journal since he began with the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book “We Hold These Truths” and screenwriter of the political documentary “I Want Your Money.”
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean’s list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith
