Fleet Week is a celebration of military pride, and a chance for the public to get a first hand look at military life

May 26, 1999
Web posted at: 4:57 p.m. EDT (2057 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Manhattan's Hudson River was the setting Wednesday for an international parade of ships, kicking off the 12th Annual Fleet Week Celebration, a tribute to the military.

Some 15 military vessels crewed by some 10,000 sailors, Marines and soldiers from the U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, Marine Corps and Canadian military, along with New York City firefighting boats, filed underneath the Verrazano Narrows Bridge en route to the Intrepid Air and Space Museum on New York's West Side.

Accompanied by a military flyover of U.S. and civilian aircraft, the fleet was scheduled to moor at various docks near the museum and Staten Island.

Fleet Week marks a weeklong celebration of military pride, pitting different branches of military service against each other in good-hearted competition.

Fleet Week events include band competitions, a road run, seamanship olympics, a tug-of-war contest, military demonstrations, a "best chow" contest and a softball tournament.

The general public is invited to attend the events.

Fleet Week events run daily through June 2nd. Additional information can be obtained through www.navy.mil, the official Web site of Fleet Week.