Today is Veterans Day and the final day USS New York (LPD 21) will be in port NYC. Her Sailors and Marines will partake in the City's annual Veterans Day events, to include the Mayoral breakfast at Gracie Mansion, the Eternal Light Monument Ceremony at Madison Square Park and the Veterans Day Parade that struts up Fifth Avenue. If you are in the City and haven't stopped by already, she will be open for one last block of general public visitation from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pier 88.

One last hoorah for NEW YORK and her crew. I hope you can make it.

What an incredible week this has been for USS New York (LPD 21)! From Mayor Mike Bloomberg visiting the ship via LCAC ride to watch Game 5 of the World Series with the crew, to the Salute to Ground Zero on November 2, the day she first sailed up New York Harbor. From the official Welcome Ceremony as she first pulled-in pier side at Manhattan's Pier 88, to the First Responders tours the following day. From the broadcast on the ship's flight deck of radio show "Montel Across America," to the broadcast of "Fox and Friends" the very next day. And, finally, from 30 Sailors and Marines watching the Yankees beat the Phillies at Yankee Stadium to win the World Series, to general public visitation for all New Yorkers to see her, this truly has been an extraordinary time for celebration for the Navy, Marine Corps and NYC. I feel very blessed to be a part of this momentous occasion.

But today is the day we have all been waiting for. Today, PCU New York will be officially commissioned a United States Ship (USS) by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus; keynote speakers for the ceremony will include Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Governor David Patterson and Mayor Mike Bloomberg. The commissioning ceremony will not only be broadcast LIVE at 11 a.m. EST on Navy.mil, but will also be broadcast simultaneously on the Thomson Reuters screen in Times Square for all New Yorkers to see.

Yes, today is an awesome day for the Navy and New York! See you at the commissioning.

In only a few short hours USS New York (LPD 21) pulls into Manhattan's Pier 88. Wow, has time flown by these past several months. The City is buzzing in anticipation of its arrival, and today a few lucky distinguished visitors were flown out to the ship via Marine Corps helicopters to spend a memorable overnight on board with the crew.

Rumor has it a very, very distinguished visitor may be headed to the ship tonight specifically to watch the next Yankees world series game with New York's Sailors and Marines. How I would love to be on board to witness all the excitement.

See you tomorrow, New York!