Posted on 12/17/2007 4:27:53 AM PST by ConorMacNessa
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- One hundred years ago on Dec. 16, 1907, the Great White Fleet departed Hampton Roads, Va., marking the first global naval voyage in America's young history.
The U.S. Navy is honoring the anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt's Great White Fleet deployment over the next year to underscore the Navy's commitment to sustaining a Navy and Marine Corps responsive to the challenges of the 21st century. To kick-off the commemorative period, the Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter, is hosting a ceremony from that very home port on board USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Dec. 15.
In 1907, Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States, sent a portion of the Atlantic fleet on a world tour to test naval readiness, establish global presence and generate international goodwill.
"Theodore Roosevelt's idea to send a fleet of 16 U.S. battleships on a world tour, was a dramatic gesture aimed at audiences both at home and abroad," said Winter. "To the world, the message was that the United States had arrived as a significant world power, outward-looking, and filled with goodwill towards every nation. To the public of this great country, the message was that you have a Navy to be proud of, and that the strength of the U.S. Navy is a primary source of our status as a nation of influence and power."
Will Ron Paul and Cindy Sheehan release a joint statement on the unconstitutional imperialism of Teddy Roosevelt?
and BTW - don't mess with us.
Coal-fired boilers back then.
I believe it is - I took the tour on the Olympia when I was a boy.
There remains a single coal burner still sailing in American commerce. Can anyone name this ship ?
Bttt
Bttt
By the way, thank you for your service. My son is on his way to LeJeune in about a week.
Info—if anyone is interested—the January/February 2008 issue of Military History Magazine has a good article about the “Great White Fleet”. Given their leftward editorializing I was surprised they didn’t attack T.R. for being the prior incarnation of GWB. Perhaps Charlie Rangel’s constituency was in a stupor and MH couldn’t get their input for the article.
Peace through fire superiority.
I know its a sailing ship but offhand the oldest commissioned US warship is the USS Constitution.
Yes
All of them should be coal burners, not oil burners. Makes a lot more smoke.
Congratulations on your son - thanks for the info on MH.
It could be they were “blowing stacks” together for the photo???
Ships periodically “blow stacks” (force air through the exhaust stacks to prevent accumulation of all kinds of nasty stuff) and when they do it is pretty dramatic smoke-wise. When coal burns hot in a fireplace it doesn’t produce a lot of smoke so I wonder if this was done for the photo??
Don’t worry, some FReeper will set us straight.
Interesting the masts on the ships...I guess for signal flags??
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