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The US Navy, the Navy League of the United States, and a group of over 400 family and friends awaited the arrival of the USS Hawaii at Sierra Pier # 9, this morning; an additional several hundred civilians watched her sail in from Ford Island due to space and security concerns. The Navy League sponsored a reception immediate after the arrival in Lockwood Hall aboard Pearl Harbor and presented a 5,000.00 check to the boat's MWR fund. Both the arrival and the reception went flawlessly much to the delight of the families and officials. If you would like to purchase a top quality commemorative USS Hawaii coin, please call the Navy League Office in Honolulu at 808-422-9404 and they will take your order and ship your coin.
More on the event:
A pair of tugboats nudged the sleek black vessel into position at Pier Sierra 9 in Pearl Harbor — now Hawaii's home port — shortly after 10 this morning.
At least 90 family members of the sub's crew sat in a special section of viewing stands that had been erected pierside.
"Hi, Daddy," a small child shouted as the sub pulled alongside the pier, which was decorated with red, white and blue banners.
The vessel was also greeted by a flyover from three Hawaii National Guard F-15 fighters.
Twenty-four green-jacketed sailors stood at attention on Hawaii's hull and four command group members stood in the sail as the sub entered port.
Gov. Linda Lingle stepped aboard the Hawaii in the harbor channel just before 9 this morning and welcomed the vessel to Pearl Harbor.
The Hawaii's sail was draped with a giant yellow and blue lei — the colors of the Navy — as it entered the channel and moved slowly toward the submarine piers.
A white launch carrying dozens of wives and children of crew members greeted the submarine's arrival.
A banner held up from the launch read: "Welcome home, Lt. Allen."
The Virginia-class submarine will be berthed at Pier Sierra 9, opposite the Los Angeles-class USS Greeneville.
The Hawaii is the first of the Navy's latest-generation attack submarines to be based in the Pacific, and the first of at least three of the Virginia-class subs destined for Pearl Harbor in the near future.