right|thumb|The guided missile cruiser [[USS Anzio (CG-68)|USS Anzio (CG-68) sails past the
Statue of Liberty at the beginning of Fleet Week 2004 in
New York City,
New York.]]
thumb|right|Fleet Week celebrations were sometimes also held overseas, as in 1908, when the [[Great White Fleet visited
Auckland,
New Zealand.]]
Fleet Week is a
United States Navy,
United States Marine Corps and
United States Coast Guard tradition in which active military
ships recently deployed in overseas operations
dock in a variety of major cities for one week. Once the ships dock, the
crews can enter the city and visit its tourist attractions. At certain hours, the public can take a guided tour of the ships. Often, Fleet Week is accompanied by military
demonstrations and
air shows such as provided by the
Blue Angels.
History
The first Fleet Week was celebrated in
San Diego,
California, during the 1935
California Pacific International Exposition. The years between
World War I and
World War II saw an increasing military build-up in both
Japan and
Germany, while the
communist Soviet Union (USSR) was given over to the wave of
Stalinist nationalism. Most
U.S. citizens experienced little sense of urgency about foreign developments because of
isolationism and concerns with the ongoing
economic Great Depression. However, then-
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a former
Assistant Secretary of the Navy, was intent on expanding the U.S. Navy in response to world political trends. A major
aircraft company was moving to
Lindbergh Field, (today more commonly known as San Diego International Airport). In this atmosphere, Fleet Week was born.
At 11 a.m. on May 29, 1935, a
color guard of the U.S. Marine Corps led a
parade across
Cabrillo Bridge to Plaza del Pacifico, where the
U.S. flag was raised to open the Exposition officially. At 8 p.m., Roosevelt spoke by telephone and designated two selected
orphans to press the buttons turning on the lights which bathed the grounds in color. In his remarks, heard over the
loudspeaker system, Roosevelt said: "The decision of the people of San Diego thus to dedicate the California Pacific International Exposition is, I believe, worthy of the courage and confidence with which our people now look to the future. No one can deny that we have passed through troubled years. No one can fail to feel the inspiration of your high purpose. I wish you great success."
During Fleet Week in June 1935, 114
warships and 400
military planes arrived under command of U.S. Navy
Admiral Joseph M. Reeves,
Commander-in-Chief of the
U.S. Fleet. It was described as the mightiest fleet ever assembled under the U.S. flag. It included forty-eight
battleships,
cruisers and
aircraft carriers, with more than 3,000
commissioned officers and 55,000
enlisted men. The U.S. Navy men visited the Exposition and, in turn, thousands of San Diegans and other fairgoers were guests on the various ships.
San Francisco Fleet Week
Fleet Week was not held again until it was revived in 1981 in
San Francisco, California, in conjunction with
Columbus Day Weekend celebrations during the second week of
October. Since then, the event has been held each year during the Columbus Day Weekend without a break and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2005. The event is estimated to attract over one million people to watch the air show along the
San Francisco Bay waterfront stretching from the
Ferry Building to the
Golden Gate Bridge.
(Note that the "official" status of Fleet Week in San Francisco is a minor consideration because prior to 1981 it was common for large groups of U.S. Navy ships to dock in San Francisco for a similar, if unnamed series of events. Inevitably one or more fleet ships were docked as a "visit ship" for tourists to board, and the local community took in sailors for home visits; drinks were often discounted to uniformed sailors at area bars and restaurants. Thus, any contention that Fleet Week was an invention of the
Reagan Era is misplaced — only the official designation is new.)
Fleet Week in other cities
Fleet Weeks have since spread to other cities, including
New York City,
New York, starting in 1984, and later in
Fort Lauderdale,
Florida and also revived in San Diego.
Seattle, Washington, also has a fleet week during
Seafair.
New York City Fleet Week
During the New York City Fleet Week, ships are docked at
New York Passenger Ship Terminal on the
Hudson River on the
West Side of the
borough of
Manhattan and also at
Stapleton in the borough of
Staten Island. The 2008 Fleet Week began May 21 and included Canadian ships in addition to U.S. ships.
New York City Fleet Week 2009New York City Fleet Week 2009 was May 20 - May 26, 2009, with representatives from both the U.S. military and the
Canadian Navy. The visiting ships were:
Manhattan
U.S.
Staten Island
U.S.
Staten Island
Canadian Navy
