Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Zachary Behrend | 230430-N-KG461-1056 PORT EVERGLADES, Fla. (April 30, 2023) Sailors on board the...... read more read more
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — With the brows pulled, the lines restowed and the ships slowly guided away from the pier, Sunday, April 30 marked the end of Fleet Week Port Everglades 2023.
The crews said farewell to Fort Lauderdale, having hosted more than 8,000 people on board the USS Cole (DDG 67), USS New York (LPD 21), USNS Newport (E-TPF-12), USS Indiana (SSN 789) and USCGC William Flores (WPC-1103). The ships and service members left a strong impression upon the guests.
“This experience was great,” Brandey Edelson, outreach director of the U.S. House of Representatives 23rd District of Florida said after a tour of USS Cole. “It’s always great to see them in action and see how they live and operate. We appreciate having them in Port Everglades and spending time with us.”
Throught the week, the Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen engaged in more than 40 different events including various receptions to welcome the service members to the city, volunteer projects where military personnel endeavored to give back to the community, and ceremonies to honor military service and heritage.
Navy Band Southeast travelled down from Jacksonville, Florida to participate in the festivities, with three evening concerts, and more than 15 smaller performances during the seven-day event. The highlight was possibly the first event of the week as vocalist Emily Kershaw sang the national anthem in front of a packed house at FLA Live Arena for the Florida Panthers playoff game.
Before the game and during rehearsal, the staff warned her that during the anthem, the crowd would shout out “fight” and “red.”
“It was really cool, and I was ready for it, but it an unusual thing unique to that stadium,” she said. “At that time, it wasn’t like our team versus your team, but it like everyone was unified. There was just a real feeling of respect for the anthem.”
It is fair to say the many of the 800 service members visiting the city were equally impacted by the hospitality they were shown.
“I really enjoyed being down here and exploring a new city,” said Religious Programs Specialist 2nd Class Joseph Edwards. “The people here definitely appreciate the Navy and it was good way for them to see what all the Navy has to offer.”
This was his first Fleet Week, and he said his favorite part was talking to the kids at the local schools during the volunteer outreach programs. Sailors and Marines either went out to the schools or hosted them for VIP tours of the ships roughtly a dozen times during the week.
This year is the 32nd time the Navy has come down for Fleet Week Port Everglades to showcase naval technology and the Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who defend the nation.
“What an incredible week. South Florida absolutely embraced the service members throughout the event, and everyone I spoke to had a fantastic time,” Rear Admiral Tom Williams, Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group TWO said. “Our Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen conducted themselves as exemplary ambassadors to the communities and helped to showcase the best of America’s armed forces.”
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2023 11:02 |
| Story ID: | 443691 |
| Location: | PORT EVERGLADES, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 276 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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