Fleet Week in New York City isn’t happening in person this year.
Like 2020, the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard will celebrate online with virtual tours happening on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@FleetWeekNYC).
“The weeklong event is a new way for the residents of New York City and the surrounding tri-state area to continue to take part in the annual celebration despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” officials said via MilitaryNews.com.
Fleet Week locally, and in Japan, will run until Memorial Day, May 31.
A variety of interviews and tours — some conducted live — have already been shared on social media, including one about a New York sailor who serves on the U.S.S. New York. In the video below, he expresses how honored he is, especially since he was a junior in high school when the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, occurred.
“We’re not just another ship in the fleet, right? We’re the U.S.S. New York. We have the steel from the World Trade Center on board. We have to take this history and put it on our backs,” says MC1 Lyle Wilke.
Videos posted on social media as part of Virtual Fleet Week New York 2020 were viewed by more than 170,000 people, allowing the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps to show off their capabilities to at least 66,000 more people than they were able to through in-person ship tours and aircraft demonstrations the previous year, organizers said in a February release.
In 2019, about 103,000 people took tours of ships moored throughout the city or saw aircraft displays at parks and schools.
“No matter where you are, people will be able to find us on social media and watch whenever it is convenient for them so they can see how the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard safeguard our nation and how incredible the men and women who serve in uniform are,” said Rear Adm. Charles W. Rock, commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic.
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