Senators Collins, King Announce USS Forrest Sherman to Visit Eastport for Fourth of July Celebration

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, a senior member of the Senate Armed Forces Committee (SASC), announced today that Eastport will receive a port visit during the city’s 2024 Fourth of July celebration. The U.S. Navy has committed to sending the guided missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98), which has a crew complement of approximately 280 sailors. The Eastport Fourth of July parade and festival is the largest in the state and draws thousands of Maine people every year. 

“We appreciate that the U.S. Navy will honor the State of Maine with this port visit during Eastport’s popular Fourth of July Festival,” said Senators Collins and King. “This visit will provide those who serve in the U.S. Navy and the citizens they protect an opportunity to come together to celebrate our independence. We thank the Navy for making this visit possible.”

In an Armed Service hearing last month, Senator King urged U.S. Navy Admiral Lisa Franchetti to bring the ship to Maine in an effort to focus recruitment efforts in areas lacking a military presence.

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