Fleet Week Kicks Off With Parade Of Ships
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Fleet Week 2019 kicked off with the annual Parade of Ships up the Hudson River.
Now in its 31st year, the week-long event gives the public to meet hundreds of Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as tour ships and watch special presentations.
PHOTOS: Parade Of Ships Kicks Off Fleet Week 2019
This year's Parade of Ships took place on a glorious day, reported CBS2's Andrea Grymes.
Craig Strickler was waiting for his son to come off the USS New York.
"He's excited. I asked him, I said 'How'd you like it?' He said it was freaking awesome. How could it not be?" Strickler said.
Watch: Fleet Week Parade Of Ships From Chopper 2
Fleet Week includes more than a dozen ships this year. The following ships participated in the parade:
- San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS New York (LPD 21), from Mayport, Florida
- Kingston-class coastal defense vessel HMCS Glace Bay (MM 701), from Canadian Forces Base Halifax
- Sail training vessel HMCS Oriole (KC 480), from Canadian Forces Base Halifax
- Four USNA YPs, from Annapolis, Maryland
- Sentinel-class cutter USCGC Lawrence O. Lawson (WPC 1120), from Cape May, New Jersey
- Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109), from Norfolk, Virginia
- Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Milwaukee (LCS 5), from Mayport, Florida
- Keeper-class cutter USCGC Katherine Walker (WLM 552), from Bayonne, New Jersey
- Medium endurance cutter USCGC Campbell (WMEC 909), from Kittery, Maine
- Cyclone-class patrol coastal ship USS Tornado (PC 14), from Mayport, Florida
It's a celebration of the sea services including the U.S. Navy, Marines and Coast Guard, it also includes two royal Canadian Navy ships.
The ships are docked in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island and will be open over the next several days for public tours. Tours of the ships are available throughout the week from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., with some exceptions.
"A great mix of emotions, when you want to honor and say thank you to those serving our nation. The Marines, Sailors and Coast Guardsman coming off the what will be 15 ships in total," said Intrepid Museum President Susan Marenoff-Zausner.
Spectators took pictures this morning, and some even dressed up their furry friends for the occasion.
Ilene Zeins from Hell's Kitchen says Fleet Week is a great way to show appreciation for our military.
"Whenever we see them on the street we stop and thank them for their service. The funniest thing is that some of them look so young, I think I have clothes older than them," Zeins said.
For more information about Fleet Week, click here.