U.S. Naval Special Warfare Boats Make Historic Visit to Schuylkill Banks on Memorial Day

U.S. Navy SEALs and SWCCs will give behind-the-scenes tours of some of the Navy's most elite fighting boats and explain their wartime capabilities.

PHILADELPHIA, May 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Commodore Evin Thompson, head of U.S. Naval Special Warfare Group Four, will join his team of about 25 elite Navy SEALs and Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) for a special visit to Philadelphia on Monday May 26, Memorial Day. Called "Schuylkill Banks Navy Appreciation Days," the event will pay tribute to the men and women in the military who have given their lives in service to their country. Memorial Day first began to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War; it was expanded after World War 1 to include those who died in any war or military action.

On Memorial Day, there will be a special ceremony at Schuylkill Banks (Walnut Street Dock) at 12:30 PM. The Navy SEALs and SWCCs will arrive by boat from the South Schuylkill and will dock at Schuylkill Banks for the ceremony at approximately 12:20 PM.

The patriotic ceremony will include speakers: Commodore Evin Thompson; Joseph Syrnick, president and CEO, SRDC; John Westrum, president/CEO, Westrum Development Company; Clarena I. W. Tolson, Philadelphia Streets Commissioner; and Frank Jiruska, vice president, PECO. There will also be a dedication of the "Navy SEAL Grove at Schuylkill Banks," where trees will be planted in memory of three Navy SEALs-Michael P. Murphy, Michael A. Monsoor, and Admiral Charles LeMoyne-- who received Medals of Honor. TAPS will be played in the background, and a giant flag that was flown by the SEALs in Iraq will be hung on the Chestnut Street Bridge. Public tours of the boats will take place following the dedication, and the SEALs and SWCCs will also take people on boat rides on the river.

Thompson, the former Navy SEAL who commands these elite fighting units, and his Special Forces personnel, will lead the tours of the Mark V Special Operations Craft, which are high-speed waterborne boats that transport naval special operations forces. Capable of speeds of in excess of 50 knots and ranges of 500 nautical miles, the boat was specially designed to get Navy SEALs and other special warfare forces close to shore in a low-to-medium- threat environment. As part of their visit, the SWCCs will let the public see first-hand the boat's agility and state-of-the-art weaponry. They will also be available to talk to people about their personal experiences and what it takes to become a Navy SEAL or SWCC.

AGENDA: The following is the schedule of their visit:

Monday, May 26

12:15 PM The boats arrive at Schuylkill Banks, Walnut Street Dock.
12:30 PM Ceremony to welcome Navy SEALs, SWCCs with dignitaries and
other invited guests.
1:00 PM Tours of the boats begin.
3:00 PM Demonstrations take place on the water. SWCCs show how
fast the boats go, how they are deployed, and other
in-water maneuvers.
3:30 PM Tours resume.
4:30 PM Demonstrations continue.
5:30 PM Tours continue.
7:00 PM Event concludes for the day.

COVERAGE OPPORTUNITIES: The Memorial Day visit is open for coverage. There will be opportunities to broadcast from the boats while they are docked or in motion, and one-on-one interviews are available with Commodore Thompson and some of the Special Forces members throughout the day. The boats will make their way to Schuylkill Banks from the Delaware River, and can be viewed as they approach Schuylkill Banks from the South. On May 27 and May 28 the boats will also be docked at the Independence Seaport Museum for public tours.

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Source: Schuylkill Banks

CONTACT: Dava Guerin of Guerin Public Relations, Inc., +1-215-293-9020
or +1-215-262-0740, for Schuylkill Banks

2008-05-25 10:05:51 0370001 PRNEWSWIRE