Fleet Week Begins Saturday

SAN DIEGO -- The annual celebration of all things Navy, Fleet Week, will have a particularly deep meaning as the possibility of war with Iraq hangs in the air, 10News reported.

Video

San Diego Hosting Nation's Largest Tribute

The celebration kicks into high gear Saturday.

Fleet Week is designed as a tribute to the nation's military, and because of world events, this year's San Diego tribute is growing into the nation's largest -- nearly a month long, according to Fleet Week chairman Lorin Stewart.

"The fact that we do have people deployed in the defense of freedom and our nation means we are having an incredible amount of people come out for this," Stewart said.

Back this year will be crowd favorites like the Sea and Air Parade -- a parade of ships, submarines and aircraft on San Diego Bay. And this year, moved to a different day so more people can see it.

"We've been wanting in the foundation to move the Sea and Air Parade from Friday, when kids are in school and people are at work, to a Saturday," Stewart said.

Saturday, Oct. 5, to be exact. And among the participants will be the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, which launched the first air strikes against the Taliban in Afghanistan, 10News reported.

Sept. 11, 2001, forced most Fleet Week events to be scrapped last year. And while the tribute is in full swing this year, you can expect some extra security, according to 10News.

Fleet Week kicks off Saturday at Gillespie Field, in El Cajon, with displays of historic aircraft, fireworks, and more.

For more information, visit the Fleet Week San Diego Web site.