My father, Earl Hargrove, owner of Hargrove Inc., was awarded the contract to build 15 floats for the Bicentennial Parade on July 4,1976. There are many props and figures on display at the American Celebration on Parade that were used in that parade. The picture shown here is me sitting on large blocks which were made for the block float. 

I graduated from high school in 1976 and immediately began working on the parade floats for the Bicentennial. We had 5 weeks to produce 15 very large floats. We worked 7 days a week for roughly 10 to 12 hours each day. The night before the parade we lined up all the floats in the order that they would be going down the road. I remember so many local people coming to watch us do this and I remember the incredible pride I had to be a part of such a big celebration. 

We gathered at 3:30 the morning of the parade to begin transporting the floats to the parade route in Washington D.C. Most floats were built in a way to remove the tops so the floats could pass under the overpasses. These tops were loaded on flat beds and a crane would be waiting at the parade route for us to reattach them. A fleet of police vehicles escorted us. I was responsible for the Building Block float, and about halfway through the route I had a flat tire. I was left behind to get a new tire and then to proceed downtown. 

As I approached the destination, I was struck by a moment of awe. The sun was just rising on that morning of July 4th. The top of the United States flag was being placed on the bottom. As one end touched, there were moments before it touched the other side creating a triangle of space. In that space, I saw the United States Capital in the background along with the rising sun. The feeling of emotion and such huge pride just can’t be summed up in words. Also, I remember the pride I felt for my father. He was so dedicated to his employees, his family and his country. Moments of a lifetime.