Holiday surprise: Bush thanks troops in person
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A Pokemon balloon floats down the street during Thursday's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.
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Marching bands, clowns, giant balloons, happy crowds and Santa himself make up Macy's Thanksgiving fest
Indiana woman whose two sons are already serving in Iraq has herself been called to duty.
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(CNN) -- President Bush surprised U.S. troops in Iraq and thanked them for their service in person, while Americans across the United States celebrated Thanksgiving Day with traditional parades and feasts.
Bush's secret journey was not announced until he was well on his way home to Texas in Air Force One. The president spoke to U.S. soldiers and met with Iraqi and U.S. civilian officials, the White House said. (Full story)
Such was the level of concern for Bush's safety, that earlier the White House had put out a false story saying that he was having a holiday dinner with family members at his Texas ranch.
Another politician visited overseas troops: New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton shared Thanksgiving Day dinner with U.S. troops in Afghanistan. (Full story)
As Bush was thanking the soldiers, 2.5 million people were lining the streets of New York to see Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Amid tightened security, spectators enjoyed mild weather at the 77-year-old event.
As a counterterrorism precaution, extra police officers patrolled the 2.5-mile parade route on foot and surveyed the crowd from rooftops and helicopters. Along the route, police cars blocked side streets. Mailboxes were removed and manhole covers sealed.
As an additional precaution, parade attendees were not permitted to wear backpacks or carry large bags. Bomb squads inspected all 29 parade floats.
Macy's parade -- known for its huge, helium balloons -- included the likes of 15 high-flying characters this year.
Three new balloons made their debut: Grover, from the Sesame Street children's television series, and new versions of comic strip cat Garfield and Barney the purple dinosaur. Garfield had his teddy-bear pal Pooky in tow and Barney played a bugle.
Other perennial balloon favorites -- Big Bird, Kermit the Frog and Clifford the Big Red Dog -- were flying high, as were balloons of animated characters Jimmy Neutron, Pokemon's Pikachu, and bookish, bespectacled Arthur.
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President Bush serves turkey to the troops Thursday in Baghdad.
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Among the vintage balloons resurrected from parades of the 1930s and 1950s were likenesses of the Marx Brothers comedy trio of Groucho, Harpo, and Chico.
Inflation of the balloons began Wednesday evening at the start of the parade route, near Central Park.
One of the floats was a replica of the Statue of Liberty. Liberty Island, where the actual monument sits, was closed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
A Native American take on holiday
But Thanksgiving Day ceremonies took a markedly different tone in Plymouth, Massachusetts, site of the first Thanksgiving dinner by Pilgrims fleeing religious persecution in 1621. The Pilgrims -- who befriended an Indian tribe -- were among the first Europeans to settle in North America.
The group American Indians of New England held its 34th annual National Day of Mourning in Plymouth to protest treatment of the continent's original inhabitants, the AP reported.
'Hairspray' in N.Y.; parades around nation
Back in New York, a number of live performers appeared at Thursday's parade, including the cast of the Tony award-winning Broadway musical "Hairspray." Harvey Fierstein, an openly gay actor in the show, appeared in the parade as he does in the production -- in drag. He was dressed up as Mrs. Santa Claus.
The rock band Chicago and singers Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard of the Fox TV reality entertainment program "American Idol," also performed in the parade.
Nine marching bands from high schools in Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin, and one from a university in Florida took part, along with 30 groups of clowns.
Other cities, including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; St. Louis, Missouri; and Chicago, Illinois; marked the day with spectacular parades, the AP reported.
In Detroit, Michigan, Matt Engelbrecht, 17, ran in the city's annual Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Day race sporting his Lake Orion High School colors -- white and green.
"It's all about school sprit and running for the City of Detroit," Engelbrecht told AP. "If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it."
Other races were run in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Sacramento, California; Overland Park, Kansas; and the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst, Illinois, the AP said.
In addition, community Christmas tree lightings were scheduled for Thursday in Atlanta, Georgia, and Kansas City, Missouri, according to the AP.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
