Navy destroyer arrives in Boston as Harborfest begins

UH, COMMISSION GRANTED. DOUG. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU’VE HEARD ENOUGH ABOUT ME YAPPING ABOUT THE OSCAR ALLSTON. WE MIGHT AS WELL ACTUALLY TALK TO SOMEONE THAT KNOWS ACTUALLY WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT. EVERYONE SAY GOOD MORNING TO COMMANDER SCOTT BURROUGH. HE’S THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE OSCAR AUSTIN’S. FIRST OF ALL, SCOTT, WELCOME TO BOSTON. WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THE OSCAR AUSTIN. MORNING, SIR. SO THE MISSION OF OSCAR AUSTIN IS BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE. AND AIR DEFENSE IS OUR PRIMARY MISSION AREAS. AND THEN WE DO EVERYTHING FROM FROM THAT DOWN TO HUNTING SUBMARINES AND ANTI-SURFACE WARFARE. WE WERE TALKING EARLIER HOW MANY SAILORS ARE ASSIGNED TO THE OSCAR AUSTIN? AND ONCE YOU GUYS LEAVE BOSTON, WHERE ARE YOU GUYS HEADING, SIR? SO WE HAVE ABOUT 300 SHIPS, COMPANY ASSIGNED RIGHT NOW, AND THAT GETS PLUSSED UP WHEN WE EMBARK THE AIR DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER 30 SAILORS. SO 330 SAILORS TOTAL. RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE OUR VISIT HERE TO BOSTON. VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND THEN FOLLOWING THIS, WE HAVE ONE MONTH OF UNDERWAY EXERCISES TO FULLY CERTIFY FOR MAKING US DEPLOYABLE. AND THEN LATER THIS YEAR, WE’LL TRANSFER OVER TO THE FORWARD DEPLOYED NAVAL FORCES EUROPE AND BE A SHIP OUT OF ROTA, SPAIN. SO OBVIOUSLY WE’RE HERE THIS MORNING. I KNOW FROM JULY 4TH TO SIXTH THE OSCAR, OSCAR WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU KNOW, YOU GET FROM PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW, CIVILIANS LIKE TO COME AND CHECK OUT THE SHIP? YES, SIR. SO WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF MISSILES WE CAN CARRY AND WHERE THEY ALL GO, HOW MANY WE HAVE, AND CERTAINLY THE NORMAL QUESTIONS OF HOW OUR PROPULSION MEANS OF PROPULSION, HOW FAST CAN WE GO AND AND DISPLACEMENT. AND SO THOSE ARE COMMON QUESTIONS AS WELL AS WE’RE PRIVATE FIRST CLASS OSCAR ALLSTON THE NAME NAMESAKE COMES FROM. SO ORIGINALLY HE WAS ORIGINALLY BORN IN NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS, AND JOINED THE MARINE CORPS OUT OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA, AND WAS ULTIMATELY HE SACRIFICED HIS LIFE FOR FOR HIS FELLOW MARINES DURING THE VIETNAM WAR AND WAS AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR. SO WE’RE VERY PROUD OF OUR NAMESAKE, PRIVATE FIRST CLASS OSCAR ALLSTON. AND THEN, WHAT’S IT LIKE FOR YOU ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, I HEAR YOU’RE A LOCAL GUY TO BE BACK HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS FOR THE 4TH OF JULY. YES, SIR. I WOULD SAY LOCAL ISH. I’M FROM MIDDLEBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS ORIGINALLY, SO IT IS CERTAINLY GREAT TO TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING BRING ONE OF THESE GREAT SHIPS AND ALL THESE GREAT SAILORS UP INTO TO MY HOME STATE AND BRING SOME, SOME, SOME ACTIVE DUTY, FULL TIME NAVY RIGHT HERE FOR FOR THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH. SCOTT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US ABOARD THIS MORNING. THIS HAS BEEN WONDERFUL. DOUG. I KNOW YOU’RE VERY JEALOUS RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I’LL SEND SOME WONDERFUL PHOTOS FOR YOU, MY FRIEND. WE’LL SEND IT BACK TO YOU. THAT IS THE MOST YOU’VE BEEN CALLED, SIR, IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. THAT IS PRETTY AWESOME. WELL, YOU TE

US Navy destroyer USS Oscar Austin arrives in Boston as Harborfest begins

Updated: 7:24 AM EDT Jul 2, 2024

Boston Harborfest, billed as one of the country’s largest Fourth of July festivals, began Monday with the arrival of a U.S. Navy ship.USS Oscar Austin, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, docked at Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in South Boston, where tours will be offered later this week. The vessel, which entered service in 1998, is named for Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipient Private First Class Oscar P. Austin. Tours of the destroyer are being offered. City officials and military leaders participated in an opening ceremony for Harborfest in Downtown Crossing on Monday. Organizers say other highlights of Harborfest this year will include living historians and musical acts in Downtown Crossing, fireworks over Boston Harbor on July 2 and a waterfront concert at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park. Full Harborfest scheduleVideo: Boston kicks off Harborfest celebrationsVideo: U.S. Navy destroyer arrives in Boston as Harborfest begins

BOSTON —

Boston Harborfest, billed as one of the country’s largest Fourth of July festivals, began Monday with the arrival of a U.S. Navy ship.

USS Oscar Austin, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, docked at Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in South Boston, where tours will be offered later this week. The vessel, which entered service in 1998, is named for Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipient Private First Class Oscar P. Austin. Tours of the destroyer are being offered.

City officials and military leaders participated in an opening ceremony for Harborfest in Downtown Crossing on Monday.

Hearst Owned

Organizers say other highlights of Harborfest this year will include living historians and musical acts in Downtown Crossing, fireworks over Boston Harbor on July 2 and a waterfront concert at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park.

Video: Boston kicks off Harborfest celebrations

Video: U.S. Navy destroyer arrives in Boston as Harborfest begins