Port of Los Angeles hosts first Fleet Week

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A U.S. Coast Guard rescue demonstration during L.A. Fleet Week in San Pedro on Sunday. (Eddy Hartenstein / Los Angeles Times)

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A U.S. Coast Guard rescue demonstration during L.A. Fleet Week in San Pedro on Sunday. (Eddy Hartenstein / Los Angeles Times)

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Dylan Dempster, 9, gets the feel of a machine gun on a helicopter aboard the amphibious assault ship America during L.A. Fleet Week in San Pedro on Sunday.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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Marine Lance Cpl. Edward Yaeger, right, poses with a visitor next to a light armored vehicle onboard the America on Sunday.

(Eddy Hartenstein / Los Angeles Times)

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Hua Ling Qi, 89, tries on a combat helmet onboard the America on Sunday.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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Tony Liu, 9, center, and his friend Tim Zhang, 8, play with the M110 semi-automatic sniper system onboard the America on Sunday.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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The America on display Sunday.

(Eddy Hartenstein / Los Angeles Times)

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Navy 1st Lt. David Vanrooy, right, explains the MV-22 Osprey’s engine system to visitors onboard the America on Sunday.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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People wait to board the MV-22 Osprey on display aboard the America on Sunday.

(Eddy Hartenstein / Los Angeles Times)

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Visitors tour the America on Sunday.

(Eddy Hartenstein / Los Angeles Times)

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Aboard the America on Sunday, Ethan Guo, center, and his twin brother, Braden Guo, 5, right, play with the Gatling gun canon barrel on the Bell AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopter used by the Marines.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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People flock to the warships parked for L.A. Fleet Week, including the Wayne E. Meyer, in San Pedro on Sunday.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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The America, left, and Wayne E. Meyer docked in San Pedro for L.A. Fleet Week on Sunday.

(Eddy Hartenstein / Los Angeles Times)

By Matt Hamilton

Sept. 4, 2016 7:10 PM PT

The first Fleet Week in Los Angeles is underway at the city’s port in San Pedro.

Military ships have docked at the port over Labor Day weekend, giving the public a chance to tour naval vessels and meet some of the 1,500 sailors and other military personnel.

On Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard held search-and-rescue demonstrations as the public toured the battleship Iowa, the guided missile destroyer Wayne E. Meyer, and the amphibious assault ship America.

The free event also includes aerial demonstrations by military aircraft, including the World War II-era Boeing-Stearman Model 75, nicknamed the “Yellow Peril.”

Fleet Week is a tradition for the Navy, Coast Guard and Marines that dates from the 1930s. San Diego, New York, San Francisco and other port cities have long hosted Fleet Weeks.

Mayor Eric Garcetti and military officials announced last year that the Port of L.A. would be included in the Navy’s Fleet Week lineup starting this year. Officials have called it a “new end-of-summer tradition” for the one of the nation’s busiest container ports.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno.

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