Brooklyn marks the 29th annual Fleet Week New York with Salute to Ships

Setting sail!

Now in its 29th year, Fleet Week kicked off with the annual Salute to Ships ceremony held on Wednesday, May 24, at Fort Hamilton Army Base as the military vessels steamed up the Narrows and under the Verrazano Bridge.

The parade of ships was welcomed with a 15-gun salute as the U.S. Navy’s USS Kearsarge passed by at approximately 9:07 a.m. The USS Kearsarge then returned a seven-gun salute to Fort Hamilton.

As part of the flotilla, five U.S. Navy ships, four U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) Yard Patrol boats (YPs), two U.S. Coast Guard cutters (USCGC), and one Royal Canadian Navy ship arrived in New York Harbor.

The procession of 15 ships included the USS Lassen, USS San Jacinto, USS Monterey, USS Zephyr, USCGC Hamilton, USCGC Katherine Walker, USNS Yuma, the RV Neil Armstrong and the HMCS Glace Bay of the Royal Canadian Navy.

Once through the Narrows, many of the ships proceeded along the Hudson River from Battery Park to south of the George Washington Bridge. They will remain moored and open to visitors throughout Memorial Day weekend.

According to Fort Hamilton, over 1,200 children visited the base to observe the salute.

“Fleet Week New York is the city’s time-honored celebration of the sea services,” noted Fleet Week New York in a statement on its website. “It is an unparalleled opportunity for the citizens of New York and the surrounding tri-state area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness firsthand the latest capabilities of today’s maritime services. The weeklong celebration has been held nearly every year since 1984.”

For 2017, Fleet Week commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Naval Construction Forces’ “Seabees.” Approximately 3,700 sailors, marines and coast guardsmen are taking part this year.

Fleet Week New York will continue until Tuesday, May 30. For a full list of events, visit www.militarynews.com/app/fleetweeknewyork.

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