San Francisco Fleet Week 2008

Reminder to those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area, starting today is San Francisco’s 2008 Fleet Week. Officially beginning in 1981, it is an annual event that honors the men and women serving in the United States Navy, Coast Guard and Marines. A message from San Francisco’s Fleet Week Committee Chairman, Edward M. Leonard, teaches us of its interesting history:

One hundred years ago, in May 1908, 16 US Navy battleships with dozens of escorts and 14,000 sailors entered San Francisco Bay. Called the “Great White Fleet” because the ships were painted white, the fleet remained in San Francisco for two months, departing in July for Hawaii and the remainder of its 14-month cruise around the world. This was San Francisco’s first Parade of Ships and first Fleet “Week”. One of the objectives of the Great White Fleet’s voyage was to ensure that Americans were aware of the reasons for having a strong and capable Navy and to let them see those capabilities first hand. This objective still resonates 100 years later and provides the primary rationale for our annual Fleet Week celebration.

This years event will include airs shows by the Blue Angels and our favorite, the Parade of Ships. A full calender of events can be found HERE.

This sound like a great event that will be lot’s of fun for people of all ages. So if you are in the area, we suggest you check it out. We’ll just have to see if we ourselves can make it up there.