NEW YORK—Hundreds of schoolchildren from PS 90 and PS 100 gathered along with Coney Island beachgoers to greet the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guards on an overcast morning on Thursday. The Fleet Week event coincided with the opening of the beach.
Due to the low, dense fog, the original plan to have the Marines arrive at the opening in a helicopter could not happen. However, U.S. Navy Capt. Mike Wallace said that they had been planning the event for nearly four months, and they were excited to participate.
“So it’s not something that we’re planning to lose against to the weather,” Wallace said. “We are so happy to be here, we’re going to do everything to make this the best Fleet Week that we can.”
Fleet Week New York is an annual event that allows NYC-Tri-State area citizens to meet members of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corp, and Coast Guard. This year’s Fleet Week kicked off on Wednesday with a parade of ships along the Hudson River. There will be events around the five boroughs through Tuesday, May 31.
Assault ships, the USS Iwo Jima, USCGC Willow, and USCGC Tampa, will be open for public visitation at Pier 88 in Manhattan throughout the week with the exception of Sunday. Nine more ships will be open at the Homeport Pier on Staten Island as well.
“We’ve got 21 aviation events over the next eight days, and, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think that is the largest aviation footprint that we’ve had in any Fleet Week,” Wallace said. “Blue sky and sunshine, that’s all we’re asking.”
Parks and Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe was happy to announce the opening of the Coney Island Beach right before noon. He added that on Saturday, all New York public beaches will be opened, and for the first time will be smoke free.
“You come to the beach for fresh air, and the air’s going to be a lot fresher this year,” Benepe said.
Sen. Diane Savino (D-N.Y.) was also present at the beach opening to greet the Navy, Marines, and Coast Guards.
“I thought today was never going to arrive! This has been the longest, coldest, wettest, most miserable winter that any of us can remember,” she said. “We are so thrilled to have them here, and we’re so thrilled to open the beach.”
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz announced a series of summer events around Coney Island that will continue after Fleet Week, such as the Mermaid parade on June 18 and the concerts by the Cyclone Stadium every Thursday night starting July 13. Movies will also been shown on the boardwalk by the beach on weekdays, and there will be fireworks on Fridays starting late June.
