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Fleet Week Celebrates 100 Years of Naval Aviation

Members of the armed services on duty during Fleet Week.

Herds of people gathered along the waterfront of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf last week in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Fleet Week and 100 years of naval aviation.
Each year, about one million people attend San Francisco’s Fleet Week in honor of the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces.
“This year’s event also commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of naval aviation, an event which started here in San Francisco Bay with the first-ever launch of a plane from the deck of a ship, the USS Pennsylvania in 1911,” said the San Francisco Fleet Week Committee.
The streets of San Francisco were full of men and women in military uniform, as well as an overflow of vendors and performers on every block.
Souvenir stands, cotton candy stands and snack shops on wheels roamed the streets in preparation to serve all the families who would take part in many of the Fleet Week activities.
Among those activities were band performances, naval ship tours and the crowd favorite, Blue Angel performances.  Spectators responded most incredibly to the world-renowned air show in the sky, as the Blue Angels demonstrated their skills and acrobatic technique.
Several Fleet Week attendees agreed that the Blue Angels were a spectacular sight to see.
Fleet Week volunteer Noreen Williamson has participated in the patriotic event for 11 consecutive years and said that the Blue Angels performance is by far her favorite part of Fleet Week.
“The performance is just incredible,” said Williamson.  “When you look around and see people’s faces you can tell they are in such awe and amazement at the show. It is nice to see that so many people join together to honor the men and women of the U.S. Sea Services.”
Officer J. Cruz who was responsible for security at the event, agreed with Williamson and believed the Blue Angels were an amazing performance and his favorite nonetheless.
“I have been coming to Fleet Week for about 20 years now, and I love it! The Blue Angels show is entertaining. Families always come and surround the area to watch this show.  It is extremely popular,” said Cruz.
According to the San Francisco Fleet Week Committee, “A major focus of Fleet Week 2011 is to showcase the humanitarian assistance/disaster response capabilities of the U.S. Naval Services,” while also celebrating the 30th year anniversary of Fleet Week and 100 years of naval aviation.
The showcase is also meant to introduce and illustrate the preparedness and security of the military in disastrous situations.
“Last year I was charged with putting the fleet back into Fleet Week and sharing the military’s well proven expertise in humanitarian assistance and disaster response with the citizenry of San Francisco,” said San Francisco Fleet Week Chairman Major General Michael J. Myatt.  “I am humbled by the enthusiastic response we have received from San Francisco’s citizens and elected officials to our message. Truly, we are all in this together.”
The combination of the city’s efforts to coordinate an educational showcase and provide an overall outstanding display of entertainment aided in making the 2011 Fleet Week a success.
At the end of the day, honoring the United States men and women in uniform was topped off with a sky lit up in red, white and blue.

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Fleet Week Celebrates 100 Years of Naval Aviation