— By Zach Perkins |
USS Carl Vinson prepares to go under the Golden Gate Bridge in 1995 (source: USN)
If yesterday's chorus of frightened neighborhood pets hadn't already clued you in, Fleet Week is here. This year's events are a bigger deal than usual for two very significant reasons. 1.) 2011 is the 100th Anniversary of Naval Aviation. And 2.) The repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. Welcome to San Francisco, sailors.
Tomorrow's primetime events kick off with the 'Parade of Ships', which has the Navy puffing out their chests a hell of a lot more than last year. Instead of just a couple of lame cruisers, propped up by some Coast Guard and Canadian Navy ships; this years line up features not one, but two aircraft carriers*. Leading the pack is the USS Carl Vinson, aka: the final resting place of Osama Bin Laden. Coincidentally, the Carl Vinson is the only ship not open for public tours. I smell conspiracy.
If high priced war machines aren't your thing, Sunday at Pier 39 will feature a few less militant attractions, including a performance from northern California band Mustache Harbor, which from the video featured on their website, is as ridiculous as it sounds.
So to all my Mission-cool-kid-Fleet-week-haters, smell the jet fuel and embrace it. This is the one time of the year that we can sport our aviators, blast Kenny Loggins and hang out in the Marina with more than just our tired sense of 'irony' to back us up.
*= Yes, I know that the USS Bonhomme Richard is technically an 'amphibious assualt vessel' and not a full aircraft carrier. Shut up nerd.
Comments (1)
Hey, look, it carries aircraft, doesn’t it?!