San Francisco and Fleet Week share a long and storied history that originated in 1908 with the arrival of the "Great White Fleet" to the Bay during its round-the-world 14-month voyage. Consisting of 16 battleships of the Atlantic Fleet and various smaller vessels, this legendary flotilla featured hulls painted white except for the gilded scrollwork on their bows.
By Joel Williams
Published: October, 2013
San Francisco and Fleet Week share a long and storied history that originated in 1908 with the arrival of the "Great White Fleet" to the Bay during its round-the-world 14-month voyage. Consisting of 16 battleships of the Atlantic Fleet and various smaller vessels, this legendary flotilla featured hulls painted white except for the gilded scrollwork on their bows.
Over the years, millions of San Franciscans have welcomed the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, making the City’s Fleet Week one of its most treasured traditions. Under the leadership of then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein, the modern Fleet Week tradition began in 1981, honoring the dedicated men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces and their colleagues.
This year will be different. Major General Mike Myatt, chairman of the San Francisco Fleet Week Association, released a statement on April 9 saying that "the United States Navy Blue Angel Demonstration Team has cancelled the rest of the 2013 air show season which includes their appearance at San Francisco Fleet Week."
The Department of Defense made it known that the Blue Angels cancellation was due to the federal government sequestration budget cuts. These cuts also prevented the deployment of any U.S. Navy ships for Fleet Week, forcing the cancellation of the annual Parade of Ships. The government mandated military cuts forced the cancelation of Fleet Week celebrations all across the country, with New York City being one of the first to go this spring.
Although the Navy will not be sending any ships to the Bay Area this year, San Francisco’s Pier 45 at Fisherman’s Wharf is already home to the SS Jeremiah O’Brien, one of two remaining fully functional Liberty Ships of the 2,710 built and launched during WWII. The O’Brien has the distinction of being the last unaltered Liberty Ship and remains historically accurate.
Determined to not allow government cuts to "sequester" its fun, the Jeremiah O’Brien will host a Fleet Week Lite cruise on Saturday, October 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. "If the fleet can’t come to us, then we’ll go to them," said Captain Pat Moloney, acting executive director of the National Liberty Ship Memorial, adding "we will cruise out around Alcatraz, out to the Golden Gate Bridge, back along the San Francisco waterfront to the Ready Reserve Fleet in Alameda, then return under the new East Span of the Bay Bridge." Tickets are $125 per passenger with complimentary drinks (water, soda, beer and wine) and food for purchase along with live music provided by Natural Gas Jazz Band. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.ssjeremiahobrien.org.
