THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 12, 1995 TAG: 9510120348
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLENE CASON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
A birthday party will be held on the Nauticus waterfront Friday, and 2,000 guests are expected.
That's the number of RSVPs the city expects from invitations to sailors at local naval bases to celebrate the Navy's 220th birthday.
At this party, the guests, not the hosts, will get the gifts. Active-duty military members and their families will be admitted without cost to Nauticus, and they will get free refreshments, too.
``This area has an historic relationship with the Navy, and we benefit greatly from the numerous contributions these sailors and families of the Atlantic Fleet make to the community,'' Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim said.
``We have the waterfront at Nauticus and Waterside, where we can plan an appropriate event, so it seemed altogether fitting to have the Navy's premiere birthday celebration here.''
Adm. William J. Flanagan Jr., commander in chief of the Atlantic Fleet, said it's time ``we celebrate, really celebrate, the Navy's presence in Norfolk.''
The party will start with a ceremony and birthday cake cutting at 12:30 p.m. Friday on the Celebration Pavilion at Nauticus. All of the day's events, including a 7:30 p.m. concert by country recording artist Kathy Mattea, will be free and open to the public.
As part of the opening ceremony, the Navy will stage a fly-over, featuring F-14 Tomcats, A-6 Intruders, helicopters and hovercraft, and a submarine sail-by, featuring the submarine Boise. Three naval vessels, berthed at the Nauticus and Otter piers, will be open for free tours over the weekend.
Music for the birthday party will be provided by the Atlantic Fleet Band, followed by a special performance of the King's Guard of Norway, which includes a band platoon, a drum and bugle corps, and a rifle drill platoon.
Navy SEALs will give an afternoon demonstration of search and rescue techniques, plus high-speed maneuvers of motor whale boats.
``The Navy touches every person in Hampton Roads in some way, whether it is cultural, economic, family, friends, whatever,'' Flanagan said.
``The Navy is so deeply interwoven into the fabric of this community, that a celebration of the Navy's birthday becomes a celebration by definition,'' he said.
Next week, the Norfolk division of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring its 17th annual Military Appreciation Week, which will include a ``Salute to Artists in the Military'' art show Tuesday and a luncheon Thursday.
The Navy's birthday celebration is destined to become an annual event in Norfolk, according to Fraim.
``We feel that this is a uniquely Norfolk event, that other regions just don't have the facilities for,'' he said. ``It's a great use of our waterfront, and it should have a very positive impact.'' by CNB