welcome to the city of san francisco fleet week. the city of san francisco ed lee supports the city services and recognizes that san francisco plays a key role in honoring our troops and families during this 2012 fleet week. on behalf of vice admiral beman, we proudly welcome you today. >> the 2012 san francisco fleet week is a city and county event produced and executed by the san francisco fleet week association in conjunction with commander, u.s. navy third athlete, gerald beman and the united states marine corps major general spie

s. the association is comprised of 12 board of directors, all of whom are volunteers. the chairman, major general michael myatt. united states marine corps retired. jod jodie breakenridge, retired. senator finestein and george schulz. the san francisco fleet week board of directors are planning fleet week year round and many city and counties are beginning their own programs to do what san francisco has done with their unprecedented efforts toward humanitarian assistance

and training. today we have a world-class lineup for the entire bay area. we have a spectacular venue at the marina green showcasing the marina green. the physical symbol of commitment of federal, state and local agencies to the emergency preparedness of the bay area in a time of crisis. in that wasn't enough, after the parade of ships this morning, the navy's premiere flight demonstration, the blue angels will perform their most daring maneuvering over, under and around the golden gate bridge. as we gather today, we celebrate our nation's service members and also remember that it's the 75th anniversary of the golden gate bridge. thank you, ladies and gentlemen for your attendance today. it is my honor to serve you.

sit back, relax and enjoy the event and especially the san francisco fleet week parade of ships and air show demonstration. at this time, it's my sincere privilege to welcome to the podium, he is the san francisco fleet week chairman of the board, u.s. marine corps retired major general, michael myatt. [applause] >> well, thank you very much, lieutenant galvin and thank all of you. i specifically want to thank the st. francis yacht club for allowing us to have in event here. it add us so much dignity here. there are so many people to thank here, particular in my case. aren't we blessed?

i have these two great honorary co-chairs. secretary schulz, i thank you so much, sir for your guidance. senator finestein would be here except she's got a plane to catch because she's got a busy schedule. she said last night, tell everybody i would be here if i didn't have a big schedule, she's running for re-election this time. i do want to thanks my board of directors and specifically because i was out of pocket for a few months. jodie brekenridge made things happen. what you see today is a big part of what jodie has made happen. my job is to introduce a number of people, but the first person i want to bring up here is the biggest supporter in san francisco of what we're trying to achieve. the mayor of our great city and county of san francisco.

he talks the talk and walks the walk. please help me welcome mayor ed lee. [applause] >> thank you. good morning everybody. or good afternoon. what a wonderful day. this week every single day we waken, my staff has given me a list of all events. i looked at it and said, we're going to do all that and look outside here and today you see this weather, no wonder it's been said that we're going to stretch out fleet week not only this week, but more year round. if we can encourage this kind of weather every single day, that's what we're going to do. thank you again, general myatt for your leadership. i want to single you out. general myatt, because you

provided that very special leadership for our fleet week association to bring together all of the different elements and keep them focusd and progressing. i have constantly praised senator finestein for bringing this fleet week aboard since 1981. i told her that again as we were aboard the u.s.s. macon to celebrate these opportunities and to be joined, of course by our marine corps, u.s. coast guard. united states navy, the canadian fleet as well and they're leadership. this is a special week and we have of course many activities. but this is one that i have focused on much because it's not only a celebration and a thank you to our men and women in uniform, but all we're practicing those very things, those now progressive things that we're identifying that are

gaps, ones that i continue thanking our city agencies, our port, office of emergency management and all the agencies in the city are so appreciative of this opportunity and the practice what they have been learning on table exercises. and then to get to see the landing of a hover craft on ocean beach. to be able to talk to the actual navy personnel as to how they can do a pop-up tent of an emergency trauma center at ocean beach within an hour and communicate and practice that exercise is invaluable to our city as we prepare more and more the details and gain on the expertise that our military has with respect to logistics. this is what makes us so happy, charlotte, to be in our great city. i know you wake up saying we're so lunge to be in san francisco.

thanking george again for his leadership. it's an honor to host this. anita and i are so lucky to be in this city and be the mayor of the city. the intelligence and the fortitude to have everybody working together and advance on the celebration and preparedness and to celebrate the humanitarian assistance that our forces have. and with that, if i may, i would like to welcome up someone who had the distinguished career in the united states navy, and also has welcomed me aboard the u.s.s. macon a couple times this week, but also i want to single out my interests in his past, not only has he had so much leadership in the u.s. navy, but i note for you this man has had practice of landing on our

aircraft carrier some 1067 times. admiral beman, please come forward. >> we didn't get a chance to do this last evening. the mayor has as busy a schedule as anyone in the crowd as all of us collectively. i would like to take the opportunity to present a plaque in honor what the mayor has meant to san francisco fleet week and a small token of the service, may you display it proudly in your office or whenever there's room. i am sure you have been honored so many times. i can't thank you enough for your >> thank you so much.

[applause] >> thank you. >> well, good morning. secretary schulz, charlotte, it's nice to see you and very kind of you to join us again this morning. mayor lee, my fellow mere mortal flag officers. ladies and gentlemen, which is not to suggest that my fellow flag and general officers are not ladies or gentlemen, but if you know some of them. i want to say thank you to the st. francis yacht club and the san francisco fleet association for hosting this once again. [applause] >> this is my second year of being able to take part in the festivities for fleet week.

second year to be hosted at the st. francis yacht club and the highlight of the week. being here would be the highlight of any week, let alone any week. what a perfect day to be overlooking the san francisco bay, the golden gate bridge, the golden gateway to the specific. celebrating the relationship we have between the city, the neighborhood and the sea services. i could thing of no better way to celebrate the rich maritime history than being here today and i would like to say that third fleet dialed up this weather for you, but that would be selfish on my part. i can tell you as a sailor entering into a port such as this, it makes you feel like coming home. and as you'll see today, the ships are recreating a path that has been crossed by millions of

sailors dating back to our world wars, the golden gate bridge for many of them was the last thing they saw of the american soil and the first they saw when they came home. for us today, showing that recreating that path way if you will, it's a huge complement to the city for the way that you have always embraced our returning sailors, marines and coast guardsman that served forward and are finally coming home again. the parade of ships is a visible display of a partnership between the bay area and the sea services that has been strengthened. just this week, we brought together military leaders, local and state leaders and industry to discuss something that is important to all of us. when the next natural disaster

or crisis takes place on our home ground, assembling the team that's going to take care of that has been a wonderful thing. we can't imagine where we would be had we not conducted these senior leadership conferences the last couple years. building partnerships is something we consider important to our nation and the service in particular. as i mentioned last evening, just this last summer, we conducted the world's largest maritime exercise. rim of the pacific and the state of hawaii in their operating areas. it brought together 22 nations to include russia and new zealand for the first time. some 22,000 airmen and seamen to

build a relationship in the event of the next natural disaster or crisis that happened in the pacific theater, we have a collective group of nations to preserve humanity, life, liberty and justice. whether we're building partnerships at home or aboard, we know our navy, your navy on the west coast cannot do what we do without your support. i thank you again this morning for making what we do possible, and more importantly, i want to thank you for understanding the importance of what your sea services do. i think you'll enjoy the parade of ships this morning. i can recall last year we sat here waiting for the fog to lift. we saw an advertisement of an

insurance company offering new low rates. we made vital use of the time. i'm excited you're all here and will see the parade of ships and the blue angels air show. thank you very much. [applause] >> we're going to modify the program here because the admiral wants to make a presentation to somebody that has been important to fleet week for a number of years. could we bring up monique moyer. >> that wasn't mine. >> monique, again, i want to say

thank you and on behalf of third fleet and all of sea services, you spoil us with your hospitality here and the port authority of san francisco. we have a wonderful relationship and we hope it will be an enduring one and have your leadership to thank for that. as a small token of appreciation, may you reflect on it finely when you think of the third fleet and sea thank you very much. thank you. [applause] >> thank you very much. good morning, everyone. good morning secretary schulz. mayor, how you are this morning? all the vice admirals. commodores and our major general myatt and major general spies. it's my honor to serve as port director. we had the opportunities to talk about all the places that the

port of san francisco has intersected with the navy and our tenure together dates back before the golden gate bridge was here. before alcatraz to the time of the gold rush when there wasn't protection of yorba buena. they sent the navy out to protect our wealth and constructed alcatraz. we had the honor of sending out 2.5 million men from piers 18 and 20 and where it's home ported. this is a major port in the world and the state. and one of our merchant ships that was torpedoed and lost in the war of the pacific. we will never forget how the

navy and the army came to our rescue. the port was occupied 90% by the army and the navy. our history is so rich and makes us so proud to welcome you home to see the next generation of military personnel who are coming both men and women, bringing their families and reuniting in san francisco. you honor us by coming here for fleet week. i have for you, bear with me. a plaque which i will find a small space on that large ship and every time you come, you bring sunshine in some fashion and you are always welcome here. thank you for your hospitality. thank you. [applause] >> if you will all indulge me for one more minute. on behalf of the mayor and my colleagues here today.

i want to thank the fleet week committee under the vision of major general myatt. jodie breken ridge, catherine hooper and those i can't possibly remember to name. i know the major general is not a big plaque fan. but we want to show off our partnership and if you will allow me, i have a plaque for you as well. >> thank you. [applause] >> i appreciate that. thank you. >> thank you. so much. i want to thank admiral beaman for what he has done and continues to do for the city. during the 75th anniversary celebration of the golden gate bridge. we had the u.s.s. nimitz come under this bridge. thank you so much for that.

it was wonderful. >> i would like to have the senior officer military in the bay area come talk next. he's the coast guard officer, the commander of the half the coast guard stretching from, i think he says, well he covers the whole pacific. but before he really gets to talk, i want to say that i announced it last night. we had a softball tournament yesterday. usually the fire department, they have a professional team. the game was tied at seven inings and went two extra inings and the coast guard team won. they had a false alarm fire thing to call. so the guys had to leave so they could win. anyway, it was a great thing. vice admiral z. has been a

terrific partner in this. admiral, if you would come up, he is our senior military officer in the bay area. thank you so much for all you do. >> mike, thank you so much. the senior military officer is so humbling. my father at the age of 16 was one of two million that set sail under the golden gate bridge. years before, his family landed on elis island. we spent the last two days talking about partnerships. we were honored to have secretary schulz be engaged through the entire process. we had the mayor, chief of

police and it's all about partnerships. when fleet week breaks down. i know the committee under our leadership will start planning for fleet week 2013. when the last ship sets sail. there will be 4000 coast guard men and women that call san francisco their home and we are very honored to be a part of this great community that we call san francisco and the greater bay area. today we have over 70 ships on the water. they're here primarily providing protection. one of our alameda ships is up in the arctic as we look to expand water and sovereignty, doing work with our canadian partners. it was the same ship that set sail to participate in rim-pac. i had to buy him a nice bottle of riesling because she had to

ship from aloha atire to winter attire. for people that say the coast guard is shallow water. but we go to madagascar and the north pole. they wear a similar uniform to ours. the coast guard keeps your ships for a long time. the cutter sherman will serve 10 years before we retire her. she will be in the parade of ships today. some of the boats are the same volunteers. great patriots serving our nation in a voluntarily capacity.

as the senior officer of the coast guard, i am humbled by the people we serve in this great community. i cannot thank the st. francis yacht club for hosting this. mahalo to all of you. >> i will turn this over to lieutenant galvin. >> thank you, ladies and gentlemen. commodore stoneberg, this is your house. we're grateful. at this time, the parade of ships will begin momentarily.

♪ ♪ >> the united states coast guard has provided security zones to ensure a safe fleet week. there will be four stations to provide security and they have coordinated with roughly 20 cities to provide state and fire. there are 4000 coast guard stationed in and around the area. cutter training personnel. the chef school in petaluma.

the u.s. coast guard is a service of less than 50,000, the size of a new york city police department. the public safety and security are always major concerns for the coast guard. while some coast guard men and men will celebrate in fleet week, most will be on duty performing their job protecting the public, and the environment in and around san francisco. with partnership with state and local partners. we recognize the services of the fleet week members, past and present. ladies and gentlemen, you will witness sailors and marines on the decks of their ship in their uniforms. this is manning the rails and one of the oldest traditions from hundreds of years ago. today members are stationed along the rail to honor ceremonies.

the most common is visiting a port not recently visitd and home, departing for or returning from a visit. this started in 1908 when the great white fleet visited this city. in 1981, dyane finestein started fleet week. it remains a grand celebration with the parade of ships. today, san francisco fleet week serves as a mechanism for urban preparedness and partnerships with local and state agencies. this provides the united states military to showcase it's

abilities in manages disaster response. more importantly, allows local and state and national first responders to plan, discuss their strategies. whether disaster strikes, we will be ready. first in line for your 2012, san francisco parade of ships in san francisco fire boat phoenix. the phoenix went into service in 1954 with two steam power boats. the public encourages san francisco to suggest a name mr. edward pendergraph suggested the name. fires were some of the most difficult problems encountered by the department. fires involving vessels may occur on passenger ships.

freighters, tow boats. oil or gasoline barges or other types of vessels. the loma prieto earthquake galvanized them into action. this cause the collapse the many buildings and fires. to the rescue came the phoenix. along with countless volunteer citizens. he's a few statistic, all-welded construction. approximately six feet and bow 10 feet. stern, five feet. maximum speed, 15 knots.