New Jersey’s Navy and Marines Homecoming 250 Countdown Kicks Off
The countdown begins today with a huge celebration that kicks off 250 days until the Navy and Marine Corps 250th celebration beginning October 9th.
You’re invited this morning from 9:45 to 11 am to the Battleship New Jersey in Camden to Homecoming 250 which includes a flag-raising ceremony and gun salute.
Today, February 1st the public is invited to the Battleship New Jersey to celebrate the official 250-day countdown to the upcoming Navy and Marine Corps 250th Celebration. The celebration will take place October 9th to 16th 2025 to commemorate the 250th anniversaries of the United States Navy and Marine Corps.
New Jersey Celebration is the Military’s Largest
The Homecoming 250 celebration is the grand opening of the Semiquincentennial, its largest celebration honoring the military and Veterans. The commemoration will be the biggest event hosted in the nation’s birthplace leading up to America’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
Today’s event features a historic dual Flag flag-raising ceremony, where the official Homecoming 250 flag will be raised simultaneously on two historic ships.
The two ships are Battleship New Jersey in Camden and the Cruiser Olympia, a nineteenth-century cruiser in Philadelphia. I attended the ceremony on the Battleship New Jersey last summer when my brother-in-law graduated from the Coast Guard, it’s amazing. The flags will remain raised for a week, symbolizing the unity and shared heritage of the Navy and Marine Corps.
The event will also include a ceremonial gun salute from both ships, serving as a powerful tribute to the remarkable service and sacrifices of the armed forces.
Food and drink will be served followed by the opening remarks ceremony featuring President George Leone and Event Director Michael Newmuis. They’ll highlight the significance of the upcoming milestone anniversary, honoring the profound legacy, sacrifices, and achievements of America’s maritime services in
Philadelphia along the Delaware River where it all began.
After the speakers, at exactly 10:30 the Homecoming 250 flag will be raised and the gun salute will begin featuring three shots by the Olympia’s Triple 6-Pounder Cannons, and three shots by the Battleship New Jersey’s 5-inch/38-caliber guns.
The ceremony concludes with the presentation of the flags to Camden and Philadelphia.