Neptunus Lex

Navy Memorial Hosts 17th Annual “Blessing of the Fleets”
Ancient Maritime Tradition Pays Homage To Sailors & Fishermen Worldwide

WHAT: The 17th annual Blessing of the Fleets celebration, when Navy Memorial Plaza fountains are officially charged up for the season, follows the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. Sailors from the U.S. Navy’s Ceremonial Guard will proceed across the Plaza’s “Granite Sea” to pour water from the Seven Seas and the Great Lakes into the surrounding fountains, bringing them to life and ushering in the spring season.

The Blessing of the Fleets coincides with the opening of Navy Medicine: Saving Life on Land and Sea, a new exhibit to launch The Year of Navy Medicine, the Memorial’s salute to the Navy’s medical community and the centennial of the Navy’s Nurse Corps. A Humvee ambulance, a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat, & medical supplies used on the hospital ship USNS Comfort will be displayed.

WHO: Ceremonial guard, musical guests, and VIP speakers, including Vice Adm. Adam M. Robinson, Jr., MC, USN, Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy and Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. Navy Chefs from the White House Mess will serve Navy Bean Soup in the Naval Heritage Center. Several musical groups will perform live on the Plaza, including the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Band and country music group, Country Current; the barbershop-style Harmony Heritage Singers; the Chartiers Valley Show Band from Bridgeville, PA; and the Acadiana High School Band from Lafayette, LA.

WHEN: Saturday, April 12
11:00 a.m. – Country Current performance
12:00 p.m. – Harmony Heritage Singers performance
12:45 noon – United States Navy Band performance
1:00 p.m. – Official Blessing of the Fleets Ceremony
2:30 p.m. – Chartiers Valley Show Band performance
3:00 p.m. – Acadiana High School Band performance

WHERE: The United States Navy Memorial
701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004
COST: Free and open to the public.
CONTACT: (202) 737-2300 or www.navymemorial.org.