Posted on 07/25/2011 12:22:34 PM PDT by La Enchiladita
The Navy arrives today in the Port of Los Angeles, kicking off a weeklong series of ship tours and other events designed to showcase the nation's sailors.
This is the first time Navy Week - a program launched nationwide five years ago - is coming to the area.
"Navy Weeks are designed to show Americans the investment they've made in their Navy and to increase awareness of the Navy in cities that don't have active duty naval bases," said Cmdr. Christopher Scholl.
The Navy has a presence in San Diego and Ventura, but not in the Los Angeles area, he said.
Highlights will be free public ship tours of the four vessels scheduled to be in port at various times during the week: the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier; the USS Princeton, a cruiser; the USS Chafee, a destroyer; and the USS Champion, a minesweeper.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailybreeze.com ...
San Pedro, CA was the Pacific Fleet Home Port prior to it’s move to Pearl Harbor, HI in 1940.
And now with the demise of DADT the US Navy could be bringing some “Swish”.
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Vet, I thought San Diego was the home port before it was moved to Hawaii.
I was home-ported there from 82-86 on the USS Prairie (AD-15) the oldest ship in the Navy at that time. It was shameful to watch the US sell that land to build a cargo handling area for the CHICOMs.
Nope San Pedro
United States Navy Battle Fleet Home Port 1919–1940In 1888, the War Department took control of a tract of land next to the bay and added to it in 1897 and 1910. This became Fort MacArthur in 1914 and was a coastal defense site for many years. Woodrow Wilson transferred 200 United States Navy ships from the Atlantic to the Pacific in 1919 when tension arose between the United States and Japan over the fate of China. San Diego was considered too shallow for the largest ships, so the battleships anchored in San Pedro Bay on 9 August 1919. Local availability of fuel oil minimized transportation costs, and consistently good weather allowed frequent gunnery exercises off the nearby Channel Islands of California. The heavy cruisers of the Scouting Force were transferred from the Atlantic to San Pedro in response to the 1931 Japanese invasion of Manchuria. By 1934, 14 battleships, 2 aircraft carriers, 14 cruisers, and 16 support ships were based at San Pedro. On 1 April 1940, the Pacific Fleet battleships sailed to Hawaii for annual fleet exercises. The battleships remained in the Hawaiian Islands to deter Japanese aggression until the Attack on Pearl Harbor. San Pedro remained a popular port of call for Navy ships through World War II; but the battle fleet never returned.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pedro,_Los_Angeles,_California
We sure miss the navy here in Long Beach.
I remember, as a girl growing up in L.A., how Long Beach was a Navy town. It was fun to go there and see all the sailors, ride the big roller coaster, etc.
You can thank Bush 41, Clinton and this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_Realignment_and_Closure
For the demise of ALOT of CA military Bases.
An old Navy wife told me that the U.S.S. California was homeported in San Pedro before she went to Pearl Harbor. I think most of the other battleships were in San Diego before they went to Hawaii. You can still see the old battleship moorings (if that is what you call them) in the water next to North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego Bay.
California legislators got their wish. Boxer, Feinstein, Ron “Red” Dellums and state Dems always bitched about the size of the military.
I thought it was sweet irony that most of the first closures were in those Senators’ and Rep’s state. Bye Bye Alameda NAS, Treasure Island, George AFB, Norton AFB, March AFB, McClellan and Mather AFB, Castle AFB, Long Beach.
I’d love to have a Navy Week here in the Port of Houston.
Contact these people and set one up. I am sure Lant Fleet would love to have a Navy Fleet Week in Houston.
TEXAS
CORPUS CHRISTI - Suzy Williams, 2301 Harbor Dr., Rockport, TX 78382-3551 (361) 729-2826 suzywms1@aol.com
DALLAS - Don B. Munson, 1000 Basilwood Dr, Coppell, TX 75019-6335 (972) 471-3499 don.munson@tx.rr.com
EAST TEXAS - Otto R. Vanderstay, 2406 Live Oak St, Jacksonville, TX 75766-9666, US (903) 589-4461 randyvan@suddenlink.net
EL PASO - Ray Gilbert, 331 Olivia Cir., El Paso, TX 79912-5227 (915) 584-0571 gilbert33179912@yahoo.com
FLEET ADMIRAL NIMITZ - Barry A Smith, PO Box 507, Fredericksburg, TX 78624-0507 (803) 997-5862 jobarsmith@austin.rr.com
FORT WORTH - Allan L. Paddack, 5820 Old Bridge Rd., Granbury, TX 76049-2438 (817) 326-2600 allan.paddack@baesystems.com
GREATER AUSTIN - Ralph A. Patterson Jr., 10205 Holme Lacey Ln, Austin, TX 78750-4023 (512)257-3464 RAPatterson.57@alum.dartmouth.org
GREATER HOUSTON - Frank R. Russo Jr., 6118 Walkers Park Dr, Sugar Land TX 77479-5819 (281)491-8402 frrusso@deloitte.com
INGLESIDE AREA - Peter L. Perkins, 1961 1st St, Ingleside, TX 78362-6508 (361) 775-1019 plperkins@cableone.net
KINGSVILLE - Maurice E. Malcik, 1014 S 14th St, Kingsville, TX 78363-6422 (956) 453-7676 bud.malcik@edwardjones.com
SAN ANTONIO - ALAMO - J.J. Matthews, 9502 Antoine Forest Dr., San Antonio TX 78254-5619 (210) 279-3553 dragon77@satx.rr.com
I fondly remember FRiday night Happy Hours at the Alameda O-Club in the mid-sixties.
Then we would go downtown and watch Carol Doda shake her silicons at us!
LOL! Those were the days!
I remember Carol Doda but I was too young to go to Frisco and see a show (I lived in Redding)
Okay then. I’ve been to Fort MacArthur, a couple of times within the last few years in fact. Saw the USS New Jersey in 1968 I think it was when it was going to be overhauled by the Todd Shipyards.
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