MEDIA ADVISORY, June 27, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) --
WHEN: TOURS: July 1 and 2, 2006 Free!
9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
1:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Penn's Landing at the Delaware River
Market Street to Chestnut Street at the Delaware River
Philadelphia, PA
WHAT: The crew of USS Farragut (DDG 99) will celebrate the
Fourth of July in Philadelphia during its maiden port
visit. After being commissioned June 10th in Mayport,
Fla., the Navy's newest, most modern-Arleigh Burke class
guided-missile destroyer will be in port for a four-day
visit from July 1 -- July 4.
"Pulling into Philadelphia over the July Fourth weekend
for our first port visit is very exciting," said
Commanding Officer Cmdr. Deidre L. McLay. "It is
inspiring to me, and I believe it will be to my Sailors,
to celebrate the anniversary of our independence in the
heart of Philadelphia."
During the port visit, Sailors will participate in
Philadelphia's week long celebration of Fourth of July
festivities, including parades, concerts, historic
activities and the "Let Freedom Ring (LFR)" celebration.
LFR is a nationwide celebration presented by Pennsylvania
Society of Sons of the Revolution & LFR, Inc. to honor
those who helped achieve our country's independence
during the American Revolution.
BACKGROUND: Commissioned June 10th, Farragut is the 49th Arleigh
Burke class guided missile destroyer and is named in
honor of Adm. David Glasgow Farragut (1801-1870).
Farragut is famous for rallying his men to victory during
one of the most Celebrated victories in American
naval history, the Battle of Mobile Bay, as he shouted:
"Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" and successfully
led 17 of his 18 ships safely through the channel to win
the Battle of Mobile Bay.
ABOUT THE SHIP: USS Farragut was built by Bath Ironworks in Bath,
Me., and christened on July 23, 2005. The ship is
509.5 feet long with a beam of 66 feet and displaces
9,200 tons. It has a top speed in excess of 30
knots. The highly capable multi-mission ship can
conduct a variety of operations in support of the
National Military Strategy, from peacetime
presence and crisis management to sea control and
power projection. Farragut was designed to fight
air, surface, and subsurface battles simultaneously.
The ship contains numerous offensive and defensive
weapons designed to support maritime defense needs
well into the 21st century.
ABOUT PENN'S LANDING: Penn's Landing Corporation is the non-profit
organization responsible for funding and
producing public programming at Penn's
Landing. Independence Blue Cross is the
presenting sponsor of the 2006 Summer Season
at Penn's Landing. All events produced by
Penn's Landing Corporation are free to the
public and on the Great Plaza, the heart of
Penn's Landing, Philadelphia's premier
riverfront entertainment destination.
For more information on event locations and
event details, please call (215) 922-2FUN or
visit www.pennslandingcorp.com. The Penn's
Landing Corporation website is a virtual
resource for the waterfront which can help
visitors to plan a visit to easily park, play
and stay all day at Penn's Landing.
The Penn's Landing Corporation logo is available at http://media.primezone.com/prs/single/?pkgid=349