Tomorrow morning and Saturday morning New Yorkers will hear loud "booms" emanating from Manhattan's West Side. Relax: it's not the sound of our country's political machine exploding backstage, but cannon salutes for the commissioning of the U.S.S. Michael Murphy, the Navy's newest warship.
Michael Murphy was a Navy SEAL originally from Smithtown, New York, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor following a battle on June 28, 2005. Murphy's group was ambushed by the Taliban in the mountains of Afghanistan near the Pakistan border. Murphy exposed himself to enemy fire so that his radio had enough signal to call for help, and was mortally wounded in the process. He was the first Medal of Honor recipient in the Afghan War, and the first for the Navy since Vietnam.
In addition to hearing the cannon being fired off you can catch a U.S. Navy Parachute Demonstration Team make jumps tomorrow and Saturday mornings at 9:45 a.m. in front of Pier 88 in Manhattan. Two FA-18 fighter jets will also conduct a flyover at 1,000 feet on Saturday at 11 a.m. Below you'll find a full schedule and a trailer (yep) for the dedication.
On Friday, October 5th at 9:45am, the United States Navy Parachute Demonstration Team will execute a practice parachute jump over the Hudson River adjacent to Manhattan’s Pier 88 (3 jumpers total) and will employ the use of a UH-60 helicopter to execute the jump.
On Friday, October 5th at 10:05am, the U.S.S. Michael Murphy (located at Manhattan’s Pier 88) will conduct a cannon salute test, consisting of one (1) 40MM round, in preparation for the commissioning ceremony.
On Saturday, October 6th at 9:45am, the United States Navy Parachute Demonstration Team will execute a ceremonial parachute jump over the Hudson River adjacent to Manhattan’s Pier 88 (3 jumpers total) and will employ the use of a UH-60 helicopter to execute the jump.
On Saturday, October 6th at 10:05am (local time), the U.S.S. Michael Murphy (located at Manhattan’s Pier 88) will conduct a ceremonial cannon salute, consisting of nineteen (19) 40MM rounds, as part of the commissioning ceremony.
On Saturday, October 6th at 11:00am, two (2) FA-18 fighter jets will conduct a flyover of the Hudson River and the U.S.S Michael Murphy at Manhattan’s Pier 88. The aircraft will pass over the U.S.S. Michael Murphy at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet. The aircraft will then return to their point of origin (LaGuardia Airport) via the Hudson River following the activity.