Active-duty, veterans and others gather in Philadelphia to commemorate U.S. Navy’s 250th birthday.
An event five years in the making has seen its share of disruptions, both manmade and natural.
In addition to the ongoing government shutdown, Homecoming 250/Navy & Marine Corps also saw both the cancellation and relocation of multiple events due to a nor’easter that swept into Philadelphia.
But that didn’t stop around 1,000 members of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, along with government officials and other supporters, from gathering at the National Constitution Center in downtown Philly on Oct. 11 to celebrates the Navy 250 Gala.
Homecoming 250 brought U.S. Navy ships and planes to Philadelphia, along with personnel for a week of military demonstrations, tours, concerts and other events. While the weather front that produced winds in excess of 40 miles per hour forced the cancellation of events that included the All Veterans Reunion Picnic and a military and veteran suicide prevention walk, Saturday night’s gala was a packed event.
“It is really amazing how many obstacles we have had to overcome to do this,” Homecoming 250 CEO and Chairman George Leone said. “From getting political support to raising money, to having a government shutdown a week before the event. To having now a nor’easter coming into town, it’s been amazing. But it’s been an incredible effort by many.”
Leone, whose father served in the Navy, came up with the idea for the celebration five years ago for a very specific reason.
“People said, ‘What was it like the last time, the bicentennial?’ They didn’t do this in the bicentennial,” he said. “The military was coming out of Vietnam. They celebrated everyone but (the military), pretty much. We didn’t want that to be the case this time. The 250 years of the Navy and Marine Corps deserve to be celebrated.
“These folks have defended us, won our independence, liberated people from throughout the globe. They deserve – both the people who served, their history and the people who are serving now – to be celebrated. We didn’t want this to pass without notice.”
In attendance was U.S. Navy Chief of Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle, who echoed Leone’s sentiment. “Weather’s kind of against us. There’s a government shutdown that’s a bit against us,” he said. “And we’ve come through all those types of trials and tribulations. And we’re here tonight to celebrate the Navy, and the Navy’s legacy and history of 250 years.
“To be the Chief of Naval Operations in general is a dream come true. To be the CNO during the 250th anniversary of our Navy is just a tremendous honor and great opportunity. I’m just overwhelmed. The City of Philadelphia has just poured out tonight to give back to us where it all started. I’m very honored and proud to be here tonight.”
Rear Adm. Kenneth Blackmon, Vice Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, worked with Acting Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command Vice Adm. John Gumbleton to run point on the Navy side of the 250th celebration.
Blackmon led the team that has handled the logistics of arranging for Navy ships and aircraft to make it to Philadelphia, as well as planned military demonstrations. He said having Homecoming 250’s volunteers involved was vital.
“The fortunate thing for us is having the volunteers in the area working some of the planning like this phenomenal event,” Blackmon said. “It’s been really helpful for us to just kind of multiply the effect you see here.”
Caudle also praised the efforts of the Homecoming 250 volunteers. “What I would say to the volunteers is ‘Thank you’,” he said. “Thank you for the commitment, the dedication, the passion for the maritime services. The love of our Navy. The love of our country.”
Taking place in the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 and the U.S. Constitution was drafted and signed in 1787, the gala was emceed by Emmy Award-winning sports reporter Sal Paolantonio, a U.S. Navy veteran. Paolantonio served as a Surface Warfare officer during the Cold War on both the USS Ouellet and the USS Haleakala.
“This is a special night for me,” said Paolantonio, ESPN’s longest-tenured reporter. “Never in my wildest dreams when I was officer on the deck on the USS Ouellet stationed in (Pearl Harbor) that I would be given this incredible honor to be standing up here tonight on this historic occasion.”
Paolantonio asked gala attendees to note the significance of where the event was taking place. “The National Constitution Center is located two blocks … from Independence Hall, one of the most famous clock towers in all the world,” he said. “Independence Hall is the location where the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution to create the Continental Navy.
“Look around at one another. Greet one another. And think about how much history you are making tonight. You’re not only making history. You are part of history.”
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker praised Leone for his Homecoming 250 dedication, calling him “the godfather of this event.” She said Philadelphia was proud to serve as a host for both the Navy’s and Marine Corps’ 250th birthday celebrations.
“Tonight is not just about marking 250 years of history,” Parker said. “It’s about honoring the people that have kept the Navy and the Corps strong. Service and resilience and a deep sense of duty … that helped to shape our city and our nation today.”
At the event, Caudle reflected on his decades of service in the Navy. “It’s been 40 years of opportunity. It started in the submarine force, grew to Fleet Command, and now I’m the Chief of Naval Operations,” he said. “I am a living, walking testimony that if you work hard, do what’s right, pay attention, things can happen for you. And before long, you’re actually leading the Navy.”
Blackmon, who has served in the Navy for 36 years, said the branch’s 250th birthday is a celebration not just for those serving, but for all those who have served.
“I think, really, the Navy blood flows through the active, the veterans, the midshipmen that are up-and-comers,” Blackmon said. “It’s just really humbling to think of everything that happened to make the Navy what it is today. Two hundred and fifty years ago, kind of thrown together, take a ship from the British and say, ‘That’s our Navy.’ And where we are today with the Navy is really a credit to the grit of all the sailors in our legacy. It’s really been phenomenal to be a part of this. It’s history in the making.”
- Honor & Remembrance