Navy Destroyer Pays Visit To Kick-Off Mostly Virtual San Francisco Fleet Week
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A U.S. Navy destroyer will make a brief stop in San Francisco on Friday to mark the start of Fleet Week, which is being held mostly online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Navy officials said the USS Michael Monsoor based out of San Diego will dock near the Bay Bridge Friday morning and anchor overnight before departing San Francisco Bay on Saturday morning.
The ship will not be open for tours or pull into port, but the public is being encouraged to view the ship from the waterfront, following social distancing and wearing masks.
According to the Navy, the ship honors Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic actions in Ramadi, Iraq, in 2006.
The annual celebration held every October to honor members of the Armed Forces usually draws hundreds of thousands to the city to watch the air shows, the boat parade and other events. Organizers said those events have been postponed until October 2021.
Instead the Navy is participating in what is being dubbed "2020 San Francisco Fleet Week: The Virtual Experience" a series of online events from October 9-12. Additional details will be released in the coming days.