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In Flanders Fields

“In Flanders Fields”

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In Flanders Fields
— by John McCrae
1872—1918

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
 The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
 The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
 In Flanders fields.

Tom LeNoble - Milk

Happy Harvey Milk Day from Tom LeNoble

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May 22nd is Harvey Milk Day!

There are moments when a city chooses what it wants to remember, honor, and carry forward.

The renovation of Harvey Milk Plaza in San Francisco is one of those moments.

What sits above Castro Station today has always been more than a transit entrance. It has been a gathering place. A symbol. A meeting point for visibility, activism, celebration, grief, courage, and community.

Now, the city has an opportunity to reimagine that space into something worthy of Harvey Milk’s global legacy and the generations who continue to walk the path he helped open.

The vision for the new plaza is powerful. Expanded public space. Greater accessibility. Public art. Historical storytelling. A permanent civic landmark honoring LGBTQ+ history and the ongoing fight for dignity, equality, and belonging.
That is why I chose to join the Cabinet supporting the fundraising efforts for the Harvey Milk Plaza renovation project.

Not simply because it is a construction project, but because it is a statement about who we are and what we value.

Spaces matter. Representation matters. History matters.

There are young people who will stand in that plaza years from now looking for hope, possibility, or a sense that they belong in this world. There are visitors from around the globe who will come to understand why San Francisco became such an important place in LGBTQ+ history.

We all inherit the responsibility to protect and continue that story.
I’m honored to support the effort to help bring this vision to life.

San Francisco has always been more than a city to many of us. It has been a signal, a beacon, and a place where people came to become more fully themselves.

Harvey Milk Plaza deserves to reflect that legacy for generations to come.

Please reach out. I’d love to share how you can be part of this moment in history.
— Tom LeNoble

https://www.tomlenoble.com

#HarveyMilkPlaza #HarveyMilk #SanFrancisco #LGBTQ #Leadership #Community #PhilanthropicMindset #OpeningPathways

The SS Savannah: Inspiration for National Maritime Day

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The SS Savannah: Inspiration for National Maritime Day
— David Eugene Perry

The SS Savannah began life not as a purpose-built steamship, but as a sailing packet under construction at Fickett & Crockett’s shipyard in New York. While still on the slipway, she was purchased by Captain Moses Rogers, backed by the Savannah Steam Ship Company, with the bold idea of turning her into an auxiliary steamship capable of inaugurating the world’s first transatlantic steamship service. Her machinery was largely a New York/New Jersey industrial project: the Allaire Iron Works of New York supplied the engine cylinder, while the Speedwell Ironworks of New Jersey manufactured much of the remaining engine and running gear. 

After a successful trial in New York Harbor on March 22, 1819, Savannah began her symbolic journey south. On March 28, she sailed from New York for her operating port of Savannah, Georgia, using her engine for only part of the voyage because of rough weather. She arrived in Savannah on April 6, greeted by a large crowd despite coming in at 4 a.m. That coastal repositioning — New York-built, New Jersey-fitted, then sent south to Georgia — was effectively the prelude to her Atlantic fame. 

The presidential connection came almost immediately. Soon after Savannah reached Georgia, President James Monroe was touring East Coast arsenals, fortifications, and public works. When Monroe visited nearby Charleston, South Carolina, principal owner William Scarbrough sent the ship north to Charleston to invite the President to return to Savannah aboard her. Local objections prevented Monroe from leaving South Carolina on a Georgia vessel, but he promised to inspect the ship later. 

Monroe kept that promise. On May 11, 1819, he came aboard Savannah for an excursion from Savannah toward Tybee Lighthouse. He dined aboard, admired the ship’s machinery, and expressed enthusiasm that an American vessel might inaugurate the world’s first transatlantic steamship service. Most strikingly, Monroe invited Scarbrough to bring Savannah to Washington, D.C., after the Atlantic crossing so Congress could inspect her as a possible cruiser for use against Cuban pirates. 

Just days later, after final preparations, Savannah left Savannah Harbor on May 22, 1819, lingered at Tybee, and then began the Atlantic crossing in earnest at 5 a.m. on May 24, bound for Liverpool. She crossed mainly under sail, using steam for only about 80 hours of a 29-day, 11-hour voyage, but her achievement was still historic: she became the first steam-powered vessel to cross the Atlantic. 

…or was she?

While Savannah 1819 crossing earned her place in history as the first steam-powered vessel to cross the ocean —she was really a hybrid, using her steam engine for only part of the voyage and relying mostly on sail. Critics therefore argue that the Canadian-built Royal William, which crossed from Nova Scotia to England in 1833, deserves the stronger claim because she made the voyage almost entirely under steam, using sail only sparingly, such as during boiler maintenance. 

USS Pampanito

San Francisco Maritime National Park Association to Host Memorial Day Lost Boat Ceremony May 25 Aboard Historic USS Pampanito

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media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc.
David Perry | (415) 676-7007 | news@davidperry.com

San Francisco Maritime National Park Association to Host Memorial Day Lost Boat Ceremony May 25 Aboard Historic USS Pampanito

Public Invited to Free Waterfront Ceremony Honoring Submariners Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice

Ceremony Includes Color Guard, Guest Speakers, Roll Call of Submarines on “Eternal Patrol,” Bell Tolling, Flag Dip, and Flower Tribute

21 May 2026 – San Francisco, CA: This Memorial Day, San Francisco will pause at the water’s edge to remember those who served beneath it. On Monday, May 25, 2026, from 10am to 12pm, the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association, the crew of the historic USS Pampanito, and the USSVI Mare Island Base will host the Memorial Day Lost Boat Ceremony aboard the USS Pampanito at Historic Pier 45 in Fisherman’s Wharf.

Free and open to the public, the ceremony will honor submariners who made the ultimate sacrifice, including those lost during World War II and in peacetime service. The Lost Boat Ceremony is a time-honored tradition established by World War II submarine veterans and centered on the solemn roll call of submarines on “eternal patrol.” During the ceremony, each lost submarine’s name and fate are recounted, followed by the tolling of a muted bell and a ceremonial flag dip.

“Memorial Day asks us to remember not only the scale of sacrifice, but the individual lives, families, and communities forever changed by service,” said Darlene Plumtree, CEO of the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association. “To hold this ceremony aboard USS Pampanito — herself a veteran of war and now a living classroom on San Francisco’s waterfront — is profoundly meaningful. We invite the public, veterans, families, and all who value our maritime heritage to join us in honoring those who remain on eternal patrol.”

The ceremony will include a color guard, guest speakers including Navy veterans and local officials, and an opportunity for attendees to drop flowers into the water in remembrance of lost boats and those who served aboard them.

A Balao-class submarine, USS Pampanito served in the Pacific during World War II and is now preserved at Fisherman’s Wharf as a National Historic Landmark and memorial. As one of San Francisco’s most significant maritime treasures, Pampanito offers visitors a powerful connection to the service and sacrifice of the men who served in the United States Submarine Service.

“San Francisco’s waterfront has always been a place of departure, return, memory, and tribute,” Plumtree continued. “On Memorial Day, aboard USS Pampanito, we are reminded that freedom has been defended not only on land and in the air, but also in the silence and danger beneath the sea.”

Members of the public, veterans, families, and visitors to San Francisco are invited to attend.

About the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association:

The San Francisco Maritime National Park Association supports education, public programming, historic preservation, and philanthropic initiatives benefiting the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Through programs, partnerships, and community engagement, the Association helps preserve and share the maritime stories, vessels, landmarks, and traditions that shaped San Francisco and continue to inspire visitors, students, and residents today.

Event Details

What: Memorial Day Lost Boat Ceremony 2026

When: Monday, May 25, 2026, 10am – 12pm

Where: USS Pampanito, Historic Pier 45, Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco

Cost: Free

Tickets: https://maritime.org/event/lostboatceremony/

Mario Mieli

Remembering Mario Mieli, Rainbow Honor Walk Honoree

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Today on the anniversary of his birth, we celebrate the life and legacy of Rainbow Honor Walk honoree Mario Mieli (May 21, 1952 – March 12, 1983). 

An Italian activist, writer, playwright and queer theorist, Mieli was one of the foundational voices of Italy’s gay liberation movement. A founder of F.U.O.R.I. and a fierce advocate for sexual liberation, he challenged social, political and psychiatric systems that sought to silence LGBTQ+ people. 

His writing, including Elementi di critica omosessuale, helped shape modern queer theory and remains a landmark in the struggle for liberation, dignity and self-determination. 

www.RainbowHonorWalk.org

#RainbowHonorWalk #MarioMieli #LGBTQHistory #QueerLiberation #LGBTQRights