Sailors assigned to the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) participated in a joint ceremony with the armed forces of Spain honoring fallen members of the military throughout history, during a scheduled port visit in Malaga, Spain, May 7, 2015.
The U.S. Embassy in Spain, Spanish military, government of Malaga, and Bernardo de Galvez Association worked in concert to achieve McFaul’s participation in the ceremony – marking the first time a United States Navy warship has ever participated in an activity of this kind in Spain.
The ceremony is the hallmark event of McFaul’s visit to Spain, which coincides with the 234th anniversary of the Spanish Lt. Gen. Bernardo de Galvez’s capture of Pensacola during the American War of Independence on May 8, 1781, resulting in the eviction of the British forces from the Florida territory and the establishment of a crucial Southern front to provide relief to General Washington’s forces.
Following the ceremony, McFaul hosted members of the Spanish military, government, and influential citizens of Malaga aboard the ship for a reception.
McFaul, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-destroyer, homeported in Norfolk, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.
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Image: US Navy