Fleet Week San Diego

By Larry Blumberg & Maggie Young

America’s finest city will get a little finer this November when Fleet Week returns with live events to San Diego’s bay front. The annual event forged by a partnership between business, community, and military leaders celebrates the sea services through events that invite the public to come out and see what the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard do to support U.S. national defense.

The majority of events kicks off Nov. 4, when the Navy and Coast Guard ships and Marine Equipment will arrive at Broadway Pier. An All active Duty Golf Tournament and a Sixteen team Softball Tournament that included military teams and teams of first responders were held in September and October. Fleet Week events will wrap up on Veterans Day Nov. 11 with the second annual Veterans Day Boat Parade on San Diego Harbor.

“Our enlisted men and women come from many walks of life for one purpose,” said San Diego Fleet Week Foundation Associate Executive Director Maggie Young. “And that is to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Their commitment to this ideal requires them to leave their families and their homes, deploying to many parts of the world to keep all of us here safe. They do this for very little compensation, and Fleet Week San Diego is one of the ways that this community can thank them for their service.

Respect for the commitment of enlisted service men and women has been a cornerstone of the San Diego Fleet Week Foundation’s efforts since its beginnings in 1997. The organization began as a volunteer group of business leaders and retired military personnel banding together to plan and coordinate events to celebrate the U.S. military. The foundation officially incorporated as a nonprofit in 2001 and is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year.

“We’re really excited about our 2021 events,” said Maggie, who is responsible for producing and managing all the events. “There have been a lot of changes through the years and we’ve gained a lot of experience in putting on a great show. That experience is translating into what I believe is going to be one of our best ever Fleet Week’s here in San Diego.”

Fleet Week has a rich history in San Diego and the foundation’s combined 24 years of hosting the annual celebration of the sea services. Many in the region consider San Diego to be the home of America’s first Fleet Week, which occurred in 1935, coinciding with the California Pacific International Exposition. The front page of the San Diego Union Tribune of the day reported the “arrival of a vast armada,” which consisted of more than 114 ships crewed by 63,000 officers and sailors.

Led by U.S. Navy Admiral Joseph M. Reeves, the 1935 flotilla demonstrated America’s might in response to military buildup in Germany and Japan. This was the same year that Congress enacted the Neutrality Act, which President Franklin D. Roosevelt believed to be dangerous as it ignored the potential threat of rising autocratic regimes in Europe and Asia. This was not the first time that a U.S. president used the diplomatic deployment of Navy ships to highlight American sea power, though. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt enacted a similar tactic with the sailing of the “Great White Fleet,” which was composed of 16 battleships and accompanying vessels making friendly stops around the globe with the intent to protect U.S. holdings abroad and enforce international treaties.

San Diego was one of the “Great White Fleet’s” stops along the way. An article from the Naval History and Heritage Command written by Journalist 2nd Class Mike McKinney reads:

“When the fleet pulled in on April 14, the sailors were greeted by thousands of enthusiastic residents as the great ships anchored off the Hotel del Coronado. Small boats of all descriptions surrounded the warships, and sailors were pelted with blossoms by ‘Flower Committees’ and filled to capacity with free lemonade by ‘Fruit Committees.’ For the next four days, San Diego celebrated, and the White Fleet sailors were given the royal treatment that ended only with the fleet’s departure for Los Angeles on April 18.”

A lot has changed since then, and San Diego is now home port to 63 U.S. Navy ships, three major Marine Corps bases, and a robust Coast Guard element. While modern San Diego is no stranger to the sea services, the opportunity to get a public, up-close look at the military forces in the county is a rare occurrence, happening only a couple of times each year.

“San Diego is definitely a military town,” said Bill Baugh a retired Army Colonel, who is the 2021 president of the San Diego Fleet Week Foundation. “We’re proud of the work our military men and women perform, both in their service to our country and in our community, and we know that the people of San Diego join us in honoring and thanking these outstanding men and women.”

In 2019, the last year for live events, more than 20,000 people visited Broadway Pier, where they had the opportunity to interact with Marine Corps field combat gear and participate in tours aboard the USS San Diego and USCGC Robert Ward. Navy divers were also on site in an interactive dive tank, as part of the Innovation Zone.

Many of the 2019 events, including Navy and Coast Guard ship tours, Marine Corps static displays, the Enlisted Recognition Luncheon at Sea World hosted by USAA, The Innovation Zone and Student STEM Days sponsored by the Judith Campbell Educational and Community Foundation, and Military Family Day sponsored by Lincoln Military Housing will be back this November in addition to concerts featuring Tim Hurley and “Honey County” with Dani Rose and Sofie Lynn.

The Veterans Day Boat Parade was a great success in 2020, and will be held again this year in lieu of the traditional Harbor Drive foot Parade. Over 100 pleasure boats will be decorated in Patriotic themes and transit San Diego Harbor starting at Shelter Island, passing Harbor Island and the Embarcadero before crossing over to Coronado in the vicinity of the Ferry Landing. In addition to the boats, there will be vintage Aircraft Flyovers, Sky Divers, and Search and Rescue demonstrations by the U.S. Coast Guard.

There will be excellent viewing opportunities all along San Diego’s Bay front. “What better way to celebrate Veterans Day and the sailors, Marines, and coast guardsmen who have served and continue to serve our great county,” Baugh said.

A complete schedule of Fleet Week events can be found online at www.fleetweeksandiego.org

Anyone interested in getting involved can also contact organizers via email info@fleetweeksandiego.org or by phone at (619) 858-1545.

Fleet Week San Diego is supported by the Port of San Diego’s Tidelands Activation Program, designed to bring the city’s dynamic waterfront alive with events that engage the community and inspire visitors to enjoy San Diego Bay.