It's more than a year away. But officials Thursday that the 2008 Veteran's Day Parade will be re-routed west across 42nd Street and north on 12th Avenue to pay homage to the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Intrepid, which will return to its refurbished berth at Pier 86 on Sept. 26, 2008 -- the birthdate of the late Zachary Fisher, who founded the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
Museum officials announced the plans to more than 100 government and corporate leaders Thursday at a gathering in Brooklyn. The museum's grand re-opening celebration will officially take place on Nov. 11, 2008 -- Veteran's Day.
Museum president Bill White said the celebration will "afford us the opportunity to give Intrepid the glorious return she so deserves."
Commissioned in August, 1943, the Intrepid became one of the most famous ships in the U.S. Navy, serving in a variety of roles until she was finally decommissioned in 1974.
Torpedoed by the Japanese in World War II, struck on multiple occasions by kamikazes, the Intrepid was a key player in the Pacific Fleet, fighting in battles in the Kwajalein Atoll, the Marshall Islands, Truk, the Battle of Leyte Gulf and Okinawa. She later served as the primary recovery ship for NASA and the Mercury Astronauts and even served in the South China Sea during the Vietnam War.
Parade will file past Intrepid in '08
Rescued by Fisher to establish the museum in 1982, the Intrepid was moved from its Manhattan berth late last year for refurbishment, including an $8 million interior renovation. The Intrepid is undergoing refurbishment in Staten Island.
On Thursday, officials announced the carrier will begin its trek back to Pier 86 at 8 a.m. on Sept. 26, 2008 and should return to the pier at 1:30 p.m.
It is expected that 5,000 veterans will take place in the museum's grand re-opening celebration on Nov. 11, 2008.
"We are thrilled that we are nearing the return of the Intrepid to its New York City home," New York City Council speaker Christine Quinn said Thursday. "The Intrepid is a living monument to our nation's courage and our resolve to stand for freedom, whatever the cost."
Thank you for the news. I've been thinking about visiting WW2 Memorial in DC for next Memorial Day, but I wonder if NYC, which is closer to my home, would be a better choice.
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