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 San Diego Fleet Week’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 22nd Anniversary this year.
By Larry Blumberg & Maggie Young The San Diego Fleet Week Foundation celebrates its 22nd Anniversary this November when Fleet Week returns to downtown San Diego and the Embarcadero. The annual celebration forged by a partnership between business, community, and military leaders honors the men and women of the sea services through events that entertain and educate, while at the same time showcasing the many contributions that the Military makes to our community. The majority of events kicks off on the weekend of 3 November and will continue through Sunday 12 November. An All active Duty Golf Tournament,
a Sixteen Team Softball Tournament that included military teams and teams of first responders from cities around the bay, as well as MCRD’s “Boot Camp Challenge” were all held in September and October. “Our enlisted men and women are all volunteers and come from many walks of life for one purpose,” said San Diego Fleet Week Foundation Chief Operating Officer 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 littlecompensation, 12 WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / November 2023
“We’re really excited about 2023,” 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 25 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 stops around the globe with the intent to protect U.S. holdings abroad and enforce international treaties.