By Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Jonathan Correa
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (NNS) -- A large crowd braved the heat and
humidity June 16 to welcome to Annapolis a replica of the 18th century French
frigate L'Hermione.
L'Hermione was the ship that carried the Marquis de
Lafayette from Rochefort, France, to Boston in 1780 with the welcome news that
the French were sending arms, ships and men to help the colonists fight the
British.
The symbolic return of L'Hermione pays homage to Lafayette
and this historic relationship between France and the U.S.
"To see the Hermione here is really the representation
of the legacy of great maritime nations," said U.S. Naval Academy
Superintendent Vice Adm. Ted Carter.
Carter participated in the opening ceremony at City Dock,
along with the mayors of Annapolis and Rochefort, representatives from the
French Embassy, and other dignitaries.
Carter said that to some, L'Hermione represents the quality
of freedom and America's enduring friendship with one of its oldest allies.
"We have a strong connection with our United States
Naval Academy and the naval academy of France," he said. "We have a
wonderful international exchange program here, and this year we will be
welcoming another French student for a four-year matriculation."
Carter took part in the subsequent wreath-laying ceremony at
the French American Revolution monument at St. John's College. The monument
honors the French soldiers who gave their lives during the American Revolution.
L'Hermione sailed 3,819 miles to reach Yorktown, Virginia,
where she began her journey up the East Coast. The trip across the Atlantic
took 27 days.
L'Hermione will continue travelling up the eastern seaboard,
stopping in Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Greenport, Newport, Boston,
Castine, and Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, before heading home to France.
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