U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Brian P. Fort is a decorated naval officer in charge of most of the service ships and naval bases in Hawaii, which is not bad for a native of the landlocked state of Arkansas.
On Sunday, Fort visited the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum at 120 Riverfront Park Drive in North Little Rock.
During his visit, he spent time meeting with museum board members and toured the museum. He also gave brief remarks to a crowd that included members of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative.
Fort is the commander of Navy Region Hawaii and the Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, based out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.
He is visiting the Little Rock area to stress to government officials and business leaders the importance of the Navy to even landlocked states like Arkansas, which is fitting since the capital city is his home.
“I specifically wanted to go back to my home state on Veterans Day,” Fort said. “This is special to me.”
The state will hold several Veterans Day activities today at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History and the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock, according to the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson will be the featured speaker at the 10 a.m. observance. The theme of this year’s ceremony is Post 9/11 Veterans: A Veterans Coming Home.
Read more in Monday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.