Warship Open House June 19th and 20th

The public will have a unique opportunity to visit an advanced U.S. Navy  warship and meet her crew at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station June 19 and 20th.

The guided missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG 101) will be open for weekend public visitation, with Saturday tours given from 10:00 am to 2:00 p.m., and Sunday tours provided from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm.  Hands-on displays of other Navy and Marine Corps equipment will also be available, including Marine Corps and SEAL vehicles, as well as high-tech motion ride chair simulators with vision goggles.  Music will be provided by members of Navy Band Southwest.

The tour is free of charge and no reservations are required.  Cameras are permitted, and walking shoes are highly recommended.  No backpacks or handbags will be allowed onboard the ship, and the vessel is not accessible to the handicapped.  Public entry will only be available via the station’s Wharf Gate, located on Seal Beach Boulevard, 200 yards south of the Pacific Coast Highway intersection.  No access will be available from the station’s Main Gate.

The Gridley is a sister ship to the USS Dewey, which was commissioned here in March, and many people were unable to get tickets to that event.  However, this is a chance to see the same type of ship and the last time there was an “open house” on  guided missle destroyer in Seal Beach there were over 10,000 visitors.  The lines moved quickly and the crew were worthy ambassadors for their ship. The firepower on just one of these destroyers is equal to some of the naval battle forces of World War II.

Commencing operations in 1944 as a U.S. Naval Ammunition and Net Depot, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach is the Pacific Fleet’s premier ordnance loading and storage installation.  The base provides munitions for a majority of the fleet’s surface ships, and services approximately 50 U. S. Navy vessels annually.  More information on USS Gridley can be found online at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=900&ct=4 and http://www.gridley.navy.mil.

For more information or to arrange media access for this event please contact the station Public Affairs Office at (562) 626-7215.

For “whatsupinsealbeach” coverage of the last open house on the USS Benfold go to https://www.whatsupinsealbeach.com/index.php?s=benfold