Fleet Week in San Francisco is like homecoming for one Navy sailor
By Lauren Toms
SAN FRANCISCO -- For one sailor participating in San Francisco's Fleet Week activities, this has been something of a homecoming.
San Francisco is a familiar place for Lt. Jr. Grade Blair Murphy.
"It means a lot for me personally," he told KPIX 5 as his ship was pulling into San Francisco Bay. "My dad was in the Navy stationed in San Francisco, so it means a lot to be able to come back. Especially being with the Navy on a ship. My parents actually got married in San Francisco."
It was his dad who inspired him to lead a life with the Navy.
"Just hearing the stories of my dad and his dad before him and just a lot of family that served in the military when they were stationed up here," Murphy continued. "Sometimes we'll start talking the lingo and people around us are like what are you talking about but we're on the same frequency so it's cool."
Murphy has traveled the world with the Navy and is quickly moving up the ranks.
"I've been able to go to Guam and Palau, places that some people have never heard of," said Murphy. "Just the whole opportunity to go to places do people don't even know about."
He's part of a large team tasked with driving the massive ship that weighs more than 16,000 tons.
"On the bridge wing, this is where I spend most of my time underway," Murphy explained. "Our ship has the capability to host humanitarian response and get Marines from ship to shore."
Murphy says he sees a long career with the Navy and is proud to be following in his father's footsteps. But there's one special accomplishment he was able to do during our conversation.
"I've always thought about it how cool it would be to pull under the Golden Gate Bridge on a Navy ship," he told KPIX. "I wanted to pull in on a Navy ship. Just hearing the stories of my dad doing this and his dad before him. So being able to come to a place that's home in my work setting."