Fleet Week parade of ships sail into NYC

Fleet Week New York kicked off early Wednesday morning, May 21, with a parade of U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and U.S. Navy ships sailing into New York Harbor to be greeted by a 11-gun salute from Fort Hamilton in Bay Ridge.

The six ships in the parade included Navy ships the USS Cole, the USS Oak Hill and USS McFaul; USCG cutters Campbell and Katherine Walker; and one FDNY water boat, which sprayed plumes of red and blue water as the ships sailed beneath the Verrazano Bridge.

Each ship made its way first to Fort Hamilton and then to Lower Manhattan and up the Hudson River, where three of the ships will be docked for public tours at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum until Memorial Day on May 26.

Fleet Week arrived just in time for Memorial Day ceremonies and celebrations, as well, bringing nearly 1,500 Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen and Guardswomen into the city for the week.

“It’s an exciting time in New York City, and we love it because we get to see people that we respect so much, the men and women of our armed services here, enjoying our city,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “All New Yorkers are appreciative to you for what you do for our country. . . and a particular thank you to our friends in the Coast Guard, who we see out there patrolling our harbor every single day.”

The annual event is in its 26^th year and made a triumphant, although condensed into fewer ships, return after being cancelled in 2013 due to federal budget cuts.