JD Vance praises sailors who rebuilt Navy 250th venue in 12 hours after storm
Synopsis
A storm wiped out the entire venue for the US Navy's 250th anniversary ceremony overnight — and sailors rebuilt it in 12 hours. VP JD Vance, speaking aboard the USS Kearsarge in New York Harbor, made the reveal to a live audience that had no idea what the crew had pulled off before the cameras rolled.
Key Takeaways
VP JD Vance spoke aboard the USS Kearsarge in New York Harbor on 5 July 2025 at the US Navy's 250th anniversary ceremony.
A severe overnight storm destroyed the entire event venue; sailors rebuilt it in 12 hours .
Vance praised sailors, Marines, Coast Guard personnel, Wounded Warriors, and Gold Star families in attendance.
He conveyed greetings from President Donald Trump and thanked Admiral Caudle and Acting Secretary Cow for organising the event.
The ceremony was a centrepiece of the America250 commemorations marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence .
US Vice President JD Vance on Saturday, 5 July praised American sailors aboard the USS Kearsarge in New York Harbor for restoring the entire venue of the US Navy's 250th anniversary celebrations within 12 hours after a severe overnight storm destroyed the event setup, calling their swift recovery a testament to the dedication and professionalism of the country's armed forces.
What Happened Overnight
Speaking directly to an audience of sailors, Marines, Coast Guard personnel, veterans, Gold Star families and invited guests, Vance revealed that the celebration had nearly been derailed by a storm that struck the venue on the eve of the event. 'What you folks watching at home on TV may not realise is that everything that you saw, everything that you see today was destroyed last night in a storm,' Vance told the crowd. 'But these great sailors rebuilt it in 12 hours so that you all could be here so that we could have this amazing procession and so we could celebrate our 250th birthday in style.'
Vance's Address to the Troops
Vance opened his remarks by welcoming service members across all branches. 'I wanna welcome the incredible sailors who are with us today, all the Marines, the Coasties, and countless others from all of our forces who serve our nation and do so proudly,' he said. He also extended special recognition to Wounded Warriors and Gold Star families in attendance. 'I especially wanna thank and welcome our Wounded Warriors and Gold Star families, many of New York's finest police officers and bravest firefighters,' Vance added.
Tributes and Presidential Greetings
The Vice President thanked Admiral Caudle and Acting Secretary Cow for their leadership in organising the event and conveyed greetings from President Donald Trump. He credited Trump with reviving 'this incredibly proud naval tradition as we celebrate 250 years of American daring and 250 years of American naval excellence.' Vance drew a historical arc from the Revolutionary War and the Civil War through to the Second World War, linking today's service members with those who shaped the nation's past.
The Broader America250 Commemorations
The USS Kearsarge ceremony was a centrepiece event of the America250 commemorations marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The celebrations brought together members of the US armed forces, veterans, foreign military representatives and invited guests in New York Harbor. Vance closed his address with a call to collective effort: 'All of us will need to do our part to create the next 250 years of American greatness. I'm proud of you. Happy birthday and happy birthday to our great nation.'
The overnight rebuild episode, largely unseen by television audiences, underscored the Navy's emphasis on operational readiness and resilience — qualities Vance argued define the service across its two and a half centuries of history.
Point of View
The Vice President handed the Navy a far more powerful image than any scripted tribute: a live demonstration of the readiness doctrine the service preaches. That said, the America250 event was always as much political theatre as military commemoration, and Vance's repeated invocations of Trump as the restorer of naval tradition sit uneasily alongside a moment that was, by his own account, entirely the sailors' doing. The tension between institutional credit and political credit-claiming is one mainstream coverage of the ceremony largely glossed over.
NationPress
5 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did JD Vance say about American sailors at the Navy 250th anniversary?
Vance praised sailors for rebuilding the entire ceremony venue in 12 hours after a storm destroyed it overnight, calling their effort a demonstration of the dedication and professionalism of the US armed forces. He made the remarks aboard the USS Kearsarge in New York Harbor on 5 July.
What happened to the US Navy 250th anniversary venue before the ceremony?
A severe storm struck the venue overnight on the eve of the event, destroying all preparations. According to Vance, everything visible at the ceremony had been rebuilt by sailors in the 12 hours before the event began.
Where was the US Navy 250th anniversary ceremony held?
The ceremony was held aboard the USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship anchored in New York Harbor. It was one of the centrepiece events of the broader America250 commemorations marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Who attended the USS Kearsarge ceremony?
The audience included sailors, Marines, Coast Guard personnel, veterans, Gold Star families, Wounded Warriors, and invited guests. Foreign military representatives were also part of the broader America250 celebrations in New York Harbor.
