ASU heads to Fleet Week in NYC for Memorial Day weekend
Sailors and Marines man the rails of the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) as it passes the Statue of Liberty during the 29th annual Fleet Week New York's Parade of Ships. Fleet Week New York is an unparalleled opportunity for the citizens of New York and the surrounding tri-state area to meet sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness the latest capabilities of today's military. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Travis Simmons/Released)
Arizona State University heads to Fleet Week in New York City on Saturday to promote veteran programs and showcase the captivating photographs of the Veteran Vision Project by ASU graduate Devin Mitchell.
Mitchell’s work will be displayed over the weekend on monitors inside the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and outside along Pier 86 next to the ship in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood on the west side of Manhattan.
A spring 2017 graduate with a bachelor of science in sociology, Mitchell will share space with the Pat Tillman Veterans Center during the 29th year event that will celebrate the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard.
“As a top school for veterans in the U.S., this is an outstanding opportunity for us to fly the ASU flag in the heart of our nation’s most prominent city during Fleet Week 2017,” said Nancy Dallett, assistant director of ASU’s Office for Veteran and Military Academic Engagement. “Devin’s work is a great example of how the institution’s commitment to veterans, including the opportunity for helping them tell their stories, extends beyond just the veterans center.”
The Veteran Vision Project is a photo documentary, featuring real military service members and their lives, as captured by Mitchell. The project started in August 2014 as Mitchell traveled the West Coast searching for veteran stories to illustrate through the art of pictures.
Mitchell’s work with the Veteran Vision Project has been featured on CBS News, GQ Magazine, the Washington Post and many other national and local media outlets.
Fleet Week will also provide ASU’s Pat Tillman Veterans Center the opportunity to engage directly with the large number of visitors expected during the week-long celebration and share the inspiring message about the accomplishments of student veterans.
“Military experience combined with a college education makes veterans extremely valuable to employers and to our communities, and at the Pat Tillman Veterans Center we dedicate our energy to help student veterans succeed,” said Steven Borden, director of the Pat Tillman Veterans Center at ASU. “I cannot think of a better place than New York City during Fleet Week to spread the word about the success our veterans are having in higher education and to celebrate our men and women of the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard.”
Fleet Week New York started Wednesday and runs until Tuesday. It is the city’s time-honored celebration of the sea services, which has been held just about every year since 1984. Organizers expect up to 15,000 spectators daily visiting the various venues that will have nearly 5,000 military members participating in the public visits to the ships, staffing exhibits, concerts and military demonstrations.