By Petty Officer 3rd Class Cory Rose
Fleet Public Affairs Center Atlantic
MOOREHEAD CITY, N.C. – Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Gonzalez arrived in Moorehead City, N.C. to be the guests of honor at the 22nd Annual Seafood Festival from Oct. 3-5, 2008. The North Carolina Seafood Festival is a not-for-profit organization of Carteret County citizens and businesses, in conjunction with the town of Morehead City, N.C. The festival recognizes the importance of seafood to eastern North Carolina.
To kick off the Seafood Festival, Cmdr. Brian Fort, commanding officer of USS Gonzalez, and several other crew members were invited to attend the opening ceremonies dinner.
"The opening ceremonies were a great opportunity to meet the range of local folks responsible for the festival and it really gave me a sense of the community aspect of the festival," said Fort.
At the festival there were a number of vendors and artisans offering their handmade goods for sale.
"The festival was a great opportunity to build community relations with Moorehead City," said Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Henderson. "Sailors were afforded many different variations of North Carolina seafood and the purchase of local arts and crafts."
The Seafood Festival gave Gonzalez Sailors their first opportunity in almost two years to visit an American port.
The men and women who risk their lives to make a living from the sea are the providers of the bountiful harvest.