Navy, Marine Corps leadership join with Philadelphia officials to celebrate the branch’s 250th birthday.
Weather once again impacted the Homecoming 250/Navy & Marine Corps on Monday, but it didn’t dampen the spirit of those who attended various events in downtown Philadelphia.
Heavy winds and rain cancelled a U.S. Navy Blue Angels flyover, but the homecoming’s massive parade honoring the Navy’s 250th birthday took place, with a large audience watching participants march along JFK Boulevard and then Market Street before ending outside of Independence Hall.
And though the Navy 250 Commemoration originally scheduled to take place at the parade’s ending spot had to be moved indoors, it did so to a packed Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts.
Navy and U.S. Marine Corps leadership joined city officials on the stage with the U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters, U.S. Navy Ceremonial Band and Country Current, the Navy’s country and bluegrass band. In the audience were members of both military branches of all ranks, along with veterans from both services and members of the Philadelphia community.
“Our original plan was to stand in the shadow of Independence Hall on the very ground where the dream of the Continental Navy was born,” Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said. “But, as any good sailor or Marine knows, you have to adapt to the conditions. So, while the weather may have changed our location, it cannot and will not dampen our spirit, and it definitely cannot diminish our pride.”
Secretary of the Navy John Phelan called serving in his position at this time “the honor of a lifetime … to mark a milestone like other: two hundred and fifty years of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Continental Congress made a bold bet: Who controls the seas controls the future.”
He noted that the Revolutionary War maritime battles against the British Navy were a preview of things to come. “Those early fights revealed the simple reality: sea control shapes campaigns and decides wars,” he said. “(George) Washington would write to (France’s Marquis de Lafayette), ‘As certain as night succeeds the day, that without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, and with it everything honorable and glorious.’ He was right then. He is right now.”
While talking about the Navy’s past, Phelan also looked to the future. “Our responsibilities are plain,” he said. “Provide and maintain a Navy that can fight anytime, anywhere, and win decisively. Deter war by being ready to win the war. Safeguard peace through strength alongside allies and partners who share our commitment to free seas, open commerce and the rule of law.
“Invest in people from ascension to transition, because platforms don’t sail themselves and aircrafts don’t launch without skilled hands and steady leadership. Accelerate innovation, from unmanned systems to resilient logistics, so the fleet we had the next generation is more lethal, more survivable and more sustainable than the one we inherited.”
U.S. Navy Chief of Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle spoke of the Navy’s history starting with its formation in Philadelphia as a “makeshift fleet. What we lacked in resources we made up for in grit, tenacity, and knife-in-teeth toughness.”
He quoted George Washington’s assessment of the fledgling fleet: “‘Without a decisive naval force, we can do nothing definitive, and with it everything honorable and glorious.’ Two and a half centuries later, Washington’s words and our Navy’s mission remain unchanged. Our Navy stands the watch around the world and around the clock, ready, willing and able.
“We exist for prompt and sustained combat operations at sea, promoting our economic security and prosperity, defending the global commerce and preserving our way of life. And while the character of war has changed and the global network of threats has evolved, we will never, ever back down. Not while the safety of our people is at stake. Not when freedom requires defenders and not while the United States Navy has a say.”
Caudle closed his remarks by quoting Navy veteran and former U.S. President John F. Kennedy. “‘I can imagine no more rewarding a career than any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: I served in the United States Navy.’”
Those active-duty personnel and veterans in the audience are “a powerful reminder of the legacy that we all share,” said Lt. Gen. Jerry Carter, the Marine Corps’ Deputy Commandant for Information. “It’s a legacy forged in battles, nurtured by sacrifice, and defined by a singular devotion to defending our nation and its ideals.”
“Two hundred and fifty years of safeguarding our shores, projecting our power across the globe and ensuring the freedom of navigation around the world’s oceans, from the Continental Navy fighting for independence to the modern fleeting ensuring peace and stability around the world. The Navy has been a constant force for good, a symbol of American resolve and a vital instrument of national security.”
Parker, the granddaughter of a Navy veteran, said the Navy and Marine Corps have “a legacy of courage, of commitment and my favorite of all, service above self. Today we celebrate the 250-year legacy of the United States with music that stirs the soul and reflections that honor the past. Let us celebrate the enduring bond between Philadelphia and our sea services. Let us honor every person who has ever stood watch at home and in the furthest corners of the world. And let us reaffirm our commitment to supporting them and their families, just as they have always supported us.”
Among those in the audience were American Legion Family members, including two who drove almost an hour to attend. Albert Davenport Jr., a member of Rudolph-Elmer American Legion Post 158 in Egg Harbor City, N.J., planned on coming to the All Veterans Reunion Picnic on Sunday, but weather cancelled the event. But he and his daughter, Lauren, were at the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts to attend the Navy 250 Commemoration.
Albert served in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1972 and then joined the U.S. Marine Corps, serving from 1976 to 1982. “It was to be a part of something as historical as this,” he said of attending the commemoration. “We just wanted to take in as many things as we can here while we can.”
Lauren, a member of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 254 in Mays Landing, N.J., is no stranger to military events. “I was born at Camp Lejeune. My dad has always taken me to air shows, veterans events and things like that,” she said. “It’s just nice to be able to be a part of this with my dad.”
Leading up to the ceremony, thousands lined the streets of downtown Philadelphia to cheer on the Navy and Marine Corps 250 parade. The two-hour parade included thousands of participants ranging from the U.S. Naval Academy’s Silent Drill Platoon and Drum & Bugle Corps, high school and college marching bands, and floats and cold-air balloons.
The parade also honored midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy, as well as students from ROTC, NROTC, JROTC, and U.S. Sea Cadets programs. And a special participant was NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Jesse Iwuji, who graduated from the Naval Academy in 2010 and currently is a commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve.
- Honor & Remembrance