Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus arrived in Baltimore Sept. 10 aboard the U.S. Naval Ship Choctaw County (JHSV 2) for the beginning of the Baltimore Navy Week and the Star Spangled Spectacular.
The Choctaw County is named after Choctaw County, Mississippi, where Secretary Mabus served as the state’s governor for four years from 1988-1992. The ship’s sponsors were in fact classmates of Secretary Mabus’ in high school.
Secretary Mabus encouraged local residents to take advantage of the week’s celebration to immerse themselves into the naval history and tradition that Baltimore and Sailors played in the foundation of the country, and the Sailors who currently serve.
“When you talk to these Sailors, get to know more about them. Get to know where they are from and what they do on in the Navy,” Mabus said.
Mabus also reminded the community to ask, take and post ‘Selfies with a Sailor’. Images can be uploaded to all social media sites using #selfiewithasailor.
Baltimore Navy Week runs from September 10-16, 2014 and is part of the city of Baltimore’s Star Spangled Spectacular. This event celebrates the bicentennial of the Battle of Baltimore which provided the backdrop of Francis Scott Key’s famous poem, “The Defence of Fort McHenry,” which later became America’s national anthem. Along with more than 30 ships from the U.S. and foreign nations, the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angles will be on display and accessible to the public.