Behind the Scenes

With the Navy League’s New York Council

The New York Council of the Navy League, assisted by several other councils as well as individual members from the greater metropolitan area, played a leading role in this year’s spectacular Fourth of July celebration in New York Harbor. What is believed to have been the largest international gathering of naval warships, sailing ships, and recreational boats and other small craft in history filled the harbor and strained the resources of the several federal and city agencies charged with providing security for President Clinton and other high-level guests and dignitaries. More than 40 countries were represented by the 24 naval ships, over 120 Tall Ships, and, according to Coast Guard estimates, more than 50,000 pleasure craft of various types ranging from motorboats to sailboats to some of the largest and most luxurious yachts in the world.

The combined International Naval Review (INR) and Operation Sail 2000 attracted an estimated five million visitors to New York City. Millions more viewed the day’s events on PBS (on a program sponsored by the Navy League and the New York Council) or on one of the major commercial networks. The best views were those from the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (2,500 guests), the amphibious assault ship USS Nassau (1,750 guests), and the command ship USS Mount Whitney (1,000 guests). The retired carrier Intrepid, home of the Intrepid Museum, provided another excellent vantage point. Martin Steele, a member of the New York Council’s board of directors, is president of the Intrepid Museum.

Clinton was the reviewing officer for both INR and OpSail, and was joined in the review by Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen, Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig, and other senior uniformed and civilian officials of all of the nation’s armed services; numerous foreign dignitaries and other VIPs also participated.

Planning for the INR/OpSail week began over a year ago when Victor Gainor, then president of the New York Council, and other council members met with the senior Navy officers charged with INR/OpSail responsibilities—Rear Adm. John B. Padgett III, commander, Naval Region Northeast, and Rear Adm. Henry G. Ulrich III, commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Group 12—to discuss schedules, security procedures, crowd control, publicity, and potential problem areas.

Robert A. Ravitz, who succeeded Gainor as council president, served as a member of the INR/OpSail Steering Committee, which also included Rudy Washington, deputy mayor of New York City, and other city and federal officials. Because the Navy League was a major participant in most of the principal events scheduled, Ravitz and other members were heavily involved in meetings with event planners throughout the winter and spring; Gainor served as co-chair of the council’s coordinating committee, which worked closely with the staff of over 150 naval officers assigned to the INR task force. Donald Sternberg, a career Navyman and the council’s executive administrator, said the weeks leading up to INR and OpSail were "more demanding" than anything he had ever encountered while on active duty.

One of Ravitz’s first decisions was to invite other NLUS councils from the Greater New York area to participate, making the celebration a truly regional Navy League event. Councils from North Jersey, Western Connecticut, and Long Island accepted the invitation "with great enthusiasm," Ravitz said, "and helped immensely in both the planning and the execution of the many Navy events scheduled."

Close to 100 NLUS members volunteered to serve as liaison personnel meeting the visiting ships and assisting Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, and Marines in "getting to know the city," Ravitz said. "They helped in every way possible from providing directions to recommending restaurants to finding long-lost relatives living in remote suburbs." This assistance was the service that was the "most appreciated" by the thousands of visiting service personnel, he said. Donald Rullman, president of the Western Connecticut Council, said the schedule was "really difficult," but was compensated by the fact that INR/OpSail was "one of the most exciting events" the council was ever involved in.

The kickoff event for the crowded week was a "Welcome to New York" reception for visiting commanding officers and executive officers at the famed New York Athletic Club. More than 350 NLUS members and guests attended, including Under Secretary of the Navy Jerry MacArthur Hultin, Deputy Mayor Washington, Navy League National President John R. Fisher, and Adm. Robert J. Natter, commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Entertainment was provided, courtesy of the council, by entertainers from such broadway hits as Ragtime, Les Miserables, Grease, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Many of the same entertainers returned the next day for a curtain call on the John F. Kennedy and other visiting ships. The Marine Corps provided MAGTF (Marine Air-Ground Task Force) demonstrations at several sites, and the day ended, Ravitz commented, with "a Macy’s special: the greatest fireworks display in the history of New York City."

More than 150 council members and other Navy Leaguers viewed the Fourth of July festivities from Navy and Coast Guard ships—"then got back to work," Ravitz said. The council sponsored a number of other events during the week, including cruises and other entertainment—which included tickets to Yankee games, concerts, and various sports events.

"What the New York Council did was truly amazing," said Philip R. Dunmire, chairman of the Navy League’s Public Relations Committee. "New York City was turned into a Navy town from lower Broadway all the way to Westchester County. Bars and restaurants provided free or reduced-cost meals for anyone in uniform, and every New Yorker became a tourist guide—free of charge. It was a truly phenomenal effort."

"Every member of the Navy League—really, every American citizen—should be proud of what Bob Ravitz, Vic Gainor, and the other Navy Leaguers participating did," said National President Jack Fisher. "The whole week, particularly Bob Ravitz’s appearance on PBS, acquainted many Americans with the Navy League itself, of course. But, of much greater importance, INR and OpSail gave millions of Americans a close-up look at today’s Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, and left them with a much greater appreciation for the activities and operations—and daily sacrifices—of the fine young men and women serving in today’s armed forces.

"And that, of course, is what the Navy League is all about," Fisher said. "So Bravo Zulu to the New York Council and the other NLUS councils and individuals involved. You did a great job. JDH