Parade of Ships makes way up Delaware River to honor 250th anniversaries of Navy and Marines
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia is hosting a celebration to honor the 250th anniversaries of the Navy and Marines.
The first event in the week-long celebration happens on Thursday with the Parade of Ships.
Four Navy ships made their way up the Delaware River to Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey, as crowds lines up to watch.
Among the ships that took part were the USS Lassen, the USS Billings and the USS Cooperstown. A military flyover accompanied the flotilla.
There were five official watch parties on Thursday morning to see the military ships along the Delaware River, starting at New Castle Battery Park.
There was also a ceremony Thursday morning at a Navy Yard.
Vice Admiral John Gumbleton, speaking at the Delaware River waterfront along with Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, the governors of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and others, said the celebration also marks the start of the nation's semiquincentennial next year.
He encouraged civilians to engage with active and retired military personnel visiting Philadelphia and to ask them about their service.
"For every missile that destroys a threat, for every jet aircraft launched, for every engine that steams, none of this happens without a sailor behind it," Gumbleton said.
"The ships are cool, the jets are cool, everything looks cool, but it's the people -- it's those sailors, it's those Marines, that get it done," he said.
There are also thousands of veterans and military personnel who are arriving this week to celebrate the 250th anniversaries.
The week of festivities includes the Parade of Ships, as well as exhibitions, a gala, flyovers by the Blue Angels, a veterans reunion picnic and a free concert with Patti LaBelle on Sunday.
Then, join Action News on Monday for a parade celebrating the 250th anniversaries of the Navy and Marine Corps.
6abc will host the two-hour spectacle, with our own Alicia Vitarelli. It will feature marching bands, military vehicles, floats and balloons.
Our coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. on 6abc and wherever you stream.
The events marking the 1775 creation of the Navy and Marine Corps proceeded despite the government shutdown that has closed many federal agencies and offices. The Navy press office did not immediately respond to a Thursday email by the Assocaited Press, asking if any festivities had been curtailed because of the shutdown.
For more information on the events schedule, visit homecoming250.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this post.
