U.S. Marks 4. July With Fireworks And Parades

The Fourth of July fireworks display billed as the nation's biggest is trying to up this year's oohs and aahs with a pyrotechnic novelty: exploding shells aimed at the water, not the sky.

The so-called nautical shells are supposed to explode on the surface of the East River, remaining illuminated for a few seconds before fading out, said Robin Hall, executive producer of the Macy's Fourth of July display.

The display of 40,000 fireworks is just one of the celebrations planned across the country on a day that will also include thousands of immigrants becoming citizens -- and plenty of caution.

In the nation's capital, security will be heightened on the National Mall as organizers seek to reassure visitors following recent attempted car bombings in Britain.

Park Police and 20 other law enforcement agencies will flood the area with officers and high-tech security devices, U.S. Park Police Chief Dwight E. Pettiford said. A police helicopter will monitor crowds from above.

As with past July 4 festivities since the September 11 terrorist attacks, the mall will be fenced off and visitors will be required to pass through security checkpoints. Police said the 19 checkpoints will open at 10 a.m. and have been widened this year to eliminate potential bottlenecks.

Independence Day festivities in Washington include a parade on Constitution Avenue, a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra on the West Lawn of the Capitol and a 20-minute fireworks show.

Dry weather conditions have curtailed the use of fireworks in several areas around the country.

Breckenridge, Colorado, canceled its fireworks show because of the high-fire danger posed by dry conditions and stands of dead trees. In Washington state, private fireworks are banned in Seattle, Tacoma and parts of Spokane.

In Iraq, where the Fourth of July was business as usual for the nearly 160,000 U.S. troops, some said their service made them more appreciative of the holiday.

"This is a good place to celebrate the Fourth of July," Sgt. Jesse Jones, 24, of Olympia, Washington, who is serving with the 2nd Infantry Division in Baquba. "Not only are we celebrating independence, we're fighting for independence, too."

Before the fireworks begin, thousands of immigrants are expected to be sworn in as new American citizens during special ceremonies across the country.

At Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, officials plan to confer citizenship on 1,000 people at a "Dreams Come True" ceremony near Cinderella's castle. Singers Gloria Estefan and Lee Greenwood are expected to make appearances. Later, new citizens will head down Main Street USA for a parade in their honor.

In Boston, Massachusetts, some immigrants planned to take their oath on the USS Constitution, the Navy's oldest commissioned warship.

In Phoenix, Arizona, the ceremony is planned for a community college gymnasium. Mumford, New York, officials are planning a quiet ceremony for 35 prospective citizens at a museum. The library in Castroville, California, is slated to host its annual "Proud to be American Citizenship Ceremony."Although Fourth of July citizenship ceremonies are an annual event, officials have seen a surge in applications this year as the naturalization process has been streamlined and applicants race to beat fee increases, said Marie Sebrechts, a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokeswoman.

There were more than 110,000 naturalization applications filed in April, nearly double the 66,039 applications filed in April 2006, according to federal statistics.

More than 4,000 people in all are expected to take their citizenship oaths this week, the government said.