Sailing ship hermione. It was a replica of the military frigate that carried general marquis de lafayette in 1780 with a message from king louis xvi. Promising thousands of french soldiers and a large naval force to help in the revolutionary war. The original hermione participated in the siege of yorktown in 1781. The journey was the beginning of a trip up the east coast of the u. S. With stops in major cities along the way. Over the next hour, we will see remarks from american and french government representatives interviews with crew members and we will observe scenes and music from the arrival ceremony. When we arrived on june 5, hermione was just emerging from the fog. [cannon fire] [cannon fire] [cannon fire] [cannon fire] [cheering] [cannon fire] [la marseillaise playing] [cheering] [starspangled banner playing] [applause] platoon, forward. Left, left, left, right. Left, left, left, right. Forward. Left. Left, left, right. Left, left, leftright. Left, left, leftright. Tom i am tom shepherd, chairman of the york county board of supervisors. On behalf of my fellow board members, it is an honor to welcome you to the beautiful waterfront as we celebrate he arrival of the hermione. A replica of the ship that helped us in our fight for independence in 1780. We are here to welcome the captain and crew of the hermione, and the drive to achieve which is evident when you look at the pier and see the hermione dock. However, we are also here to celebrate a man of spirit, determination and vision. I am speaking of marquis de lafayette. [applause] tom when he sailed on the hermione in 1780, the marquis was no stranger to american shores. He had fought as a member of the Continental Army in the early years of our struggle for independence. On his return in april, the marquis brought with him not only the promise from the king of france of Additional Support in the form of 6000 troops and seven ships, but also an enduring friendship that has lasted centuries. The marquis resumed his place alongside general washington and the Continental Army and was among troops, setting siege on the battle headquarters of yorktown in 1781. As you walk through yorktown you are walking in the footsteps of our nations first president. And the many frenchmen to whom we owe our thanks. For example, the marquis de lafayette, the comte de grasse the comte de rochambeau. And so many others. Not only were these french heroes fighting in yorktown, but the hermione participated in the naval blockade and assault on British Forces from the york river. Today we celebrate the french who gave so much during the forming of our nation. The original hermione and their combined legacies. But we also celebrate the small group of individuals who first raised the possibility of reconstructing a replica of that ship called the frigate of freedom and sailing her across the atlantic. We celebrate the people across the globe who have raised the funds for building her, and we celebrate the craftsman who toiled to construct a magnificent sailing vessel. Finally, we celebrate the captain and crew of the hermione for a successful ocean crossing. Together, you have made history, and you deserve to be recognized. [applause] tom while we know the ship was built in modern times, to us it feels like we are welcoming home an old friend. At this time, i would like to introduce our governor. It is my pleasure to introduce his excellency the honorable terence r. Mcauliffe, the 72nd governor of the commonwealth of virginia. [applause] governor mcauliffe thank you. Good morning, everybody. All of our folks who come from france, ambassador, everybody else, congressmen, welcome to the greatest state in the United States of america, the commonwealth of virginia. [applause] governor mcauliffe and if some of you poor souls are from some of those other 49 states, use this as an opportunity to find a home and move here, because we truly are the greatest. If youre not, at least spend all the money while you are here. Welcome to virginia. Captain, it is great to be with you. Dorothy and i had an opportunity to tour the ship. She is spectacular. There are 79 crew. The original crew is 250. It is amazing what you can do with modern technology, but it was a crew of 79. There were 50 volunteers on that ship. I know we gave the captain a great round of applause. They are all up on that ship sitting there. Lets hear it for the crew. [applause] governor mcauliffe and captain, we thank your wisdom and forethought for coming to your yorktown first to the commonwealth. He will head off to mount vernon and then went in a little smaller states and maryland, and massachusetts, those irrelevant states. We commend your on your brilliant choice of states to come to first. The original frigate that carried marquis de lafayette to america was built in 1779. And had a 32 gun artillery. It did not have italian engines that the frigate is packing today. At the time, that ship could outsail any ship on the seas. It was the pride of the french navy and the british navy was jealous of that ship. [applause] im irish. Heritage. [laughter] governor mcauliffe for americans, the arrival of this fantastic ship came with the promise of more ships and more frenchmen to fight alongside us on our cause and fight for liberty. Those men and ship were essential to our victory at yorktown. This was great news for general George Washington, particularly because the pledge of assistance was brought by one of his closest friends. The marquis first came to america in 1777 when he was just 19 years old. He was orphaned as a toddler. The marquis soon developed an affectionate bond with general washington, who was 25 years his senior and did not have any children of his own. During the revolution, the marquis wore the blue uniform of a Major General in the Continental Army. He was more than just a young aristocrat making a statement, as washington quickly recognized. Washington shared with the marquis even the most Sensitive Information that was withheld from other military officers. And the marquis kept a close eye on the troops. In one case, warning the general that a particular officer was being extremely obnoxious in virginia. The letters and their friendship continued long after the revolution was over. Indeed, general washington confided that he typically answered the marquiss letters as soon as they arrived. He worried about the struggles of a new nation trying to define itself. Washington worried about the young frenchmans safety in the turmoil that was going on in europe. The marquis pestered washington to please accept the presidency, while washington insisted that the office of the presidency has no enticing charms. [laughter] governor mcauliffe if they only knew. There were letters welcoming the marquiss new son who was named George Washington lafayette. In another letter, washington admitted he was reluctant to visit his friend in paris because he did not speak the language and feared the french women would find him awkward. The two men even corresponded over their experience and subjects of the famous french sculptor rodan. And today, both of those priceless works are in our rotunda in the capital in richmond. The two men debated serious issues confronting our new nation. The marquis tried to persuade washington to free his own slaves in an effort to encourage a national emancipation. Washington agreed with the goal but did not believe the country would accept it. He let this crucial opportunity pass without acting. The marquis was brave enough and wise enough to see in his new friend a greater good than we were able to see in ourselves. We settled for less. The marquiss Great Sadness for far too many years. I would like to think that today washington and his good friend would be pleased at the progress since this ship first arrived in america. But they would also urge us to continue our work, folks, to make this commonwealth and this nation the place were all virginians and all americans have equal opportunities for success. Six months before the marquis set sail on his return to america, washington wrote your forward zeal in the cause of liberty, your singular attachment to this infant world and your strict and uniform uniform friendship for me has ripened the First Impressions of esteem into such perfect love our gratitude that neither time nor absence can ever impair. The ship we welcome today to virginia is the product of 17 years of dedication to the cause of liberty by so many individuals on both sides of the atlantic. It is also a tribute to a friendship between two men and two countries that has lasted for centuries. We celebrate this day with the assurance that we are both stronger and better because of that friendship. Thank you for being here today. And to the french, thank you for all you have done for United States of america. Thank you. [applause] tom now, ladies and gentlemen i would like to introduce mr. Miles young. He is president of the friends of the hermionelafayette in america. He lives in new york, his adopted home. When he speaks you will understand what i mean by adopted. He is chairman and ceo of ogilvie mather, one of the Worlds Largest and most storied Advertising Companies in the world. Mr. Young . [applause] mr. Young your excellency, the governor, chairman shepherd, the story of the hermione operates at many levels. At one level, it symbolizes a Tipping Point in history. The journey which brought the news to general washington of wholehearted french support to the american insurgents. How appropriate it is that the hermione has arrived in yorktown because that news led to the decisive president of the expedition here at the end game of the revolutionary war where the hermione on the sea side and lafayette on the land side were reunited. At another level, it is the story of modernday audacity. Lafayettes motto why not describes this well. Why not build an authentic replica of a french 18th century frigate and sail it to the u. S. . That was the question a few visionaries asked. Im an historian by academic background. I read history. I suppose i could be called a businessman right now. I profoundly believe in the value of the humanities and the importance of history. For people who say that we only need science graduates. In my view they are very wrong. History is a living thing but has to be worked at and taught. It is a great danger about what is being forgotten. Most americans do not remember that there were more french people fighting here in yorktown than americans. They dont remember that it was the support of louis the 16th who gave a message from lafayette to washington that was a turning point in the war that would otherwise be lost. Bringing those things back to public memory is fascinating. When the project was originally conceived, it was always imagined she would sail to america, to repeat the voyage which the original hermione made to fight here. The ship took a long time to build. But at some stage in the last third of the period, an American Group started to cohere. I came in two years ago. Since then, we set up committees in 11 ports. Our job was to raise money, we raised 3 million. We have had to arrange the ports, the government. Weve had to create an educational and Cultural Program around it, create a website, social Media Program and all the things that make it into a genuine public history project. It started in peoples minds in the late 1990s because the original hermione had fought here. It went back to france. Then went to the indian ocean and it fought in the battles of madras. Returned to france. Fought in the revolutionary war. Then in the late 90s, the remains were found again but they were not sufficiently extant to permit some kind of raising. It was enough to build an idea why couldnt it be reconstructed . Rochefort is the original french naval dock. The first hermione was built in rochefort. The mayor of rochefort saw this as an economic regeneration project. The idea developed there. It got some backers. Then the famous author became the figurehead for the organization. And, of course, actually, the mayor was right. 4. 5 million visitors came into rochefort and put the town back on the map. It is an example of how heritage can pay. It was very difficult to build because some of these skills are not there he obvious. The decision had been made that this should be an authentic replica. So, there were some concessions. There is an engine, there is radar. Those are forced by coast guards and by health and safety. Some metal bolts in the sub structure of the hull, but otherwise very little compromise. You have to find thousands of french oak trees, and they have to be shaped like this. In the old french forests, they were grown along water courses so they would naturally bend. Then you need a tree that grows like that and has a joint like that. And you only use the section. How do you find those in todays world . It took 10 years to find the french oak that made the ship what it is. Some of the skills came from sweden. Sweden does have the tradition of creating authentic ships. Otherwise, a lot of schools around rochefort, the sail making, the rigging, for instance, the cannons were found in the original foundry. So, it took time, because the decision was made not to compromise. How can you crystallize the importance of lafayette for americans . Mr. Young at one level, he was an american founding father but it does not tell you the guts of the thing. He was a crazy youth who had the idea that the american war was a good, just war. Came across as a teenager, befriended washington. He then fought gallantly. He became something of a confidente of washington. Washington trusted him using him as a spy within the camp to tell him if other people were being defeatist or gossiping or whatever. Then washington and trusted him to go on a Lobby Mission back to france. Lafayettes motto was why not . He had this sense of nothing is impossible. An enormous sense of selfconfidence. That cando spirit, Something Like the american spirit, the american dream. So, he operates at a number of Different Levels as a at the more normal level but also something spiritual, that he could defy all odds. [singing] hip hip hoorah mr. Young he had a checkered life after that. He was a personality in the revolution. In some sense, he was quite famous and admirable. He was present at the fall of the bastille. He sent washington a key that is still in the hallway in mount vernon. At another point in the revolution, he bottomed out. He wasnt quite sure where he was. He lost the king and queen their lives. He could have protected him. Them. They had protected him. He did not come out so well in the revolution. He went to prison. He was captured by the austrians, terrible conditions. An amazing wife. Adrienne went and joined him with their two daughters. She got ill and eventually died. They went back to france. Napoleon shoved them off into the countryside. Did not want anything to do with him, just wanted to keep them quiet. He had no love for the restored monarchy, but when Louis Philippe came to power, the marquis de lafayette had a second time of greatness. He was instrumental as a liberal. He came back to the states in 1824. A heroic visit. I am in the advertising business and this is one of the great marketing events. His return to the states. You could buy everything from a shoe brush to a comb with his name on it. Over 40 pounds named towns named after lafayette. Streets were named after lafayette. So, he became at that point an american icon. And america recognized the amazing role he had played. [singing] in relation to the sailors , they saying songs for different times. Songs to rise, songs for arrival. And so we choose between hundreds, we chose five. For one, we preferred and read a lot to sing it. Sing it when we were running out in passage. Because of the sailors songs you can sing it very loud. You can yell it. If you sing not very well, its ok. [singing] [applause] how did you find yourself doing this . I visited the ship once. They told, we are looking for a crew. For me, that was a dream because i grew up in a city in brittany by the sea. This is a primitive city. It is just a stone city. I spent hours and hours with playing with that ship in mind. Dreaming to see one coming. She came. Its really a kids dream that becomes true. Were you on the crossing . Yes. I was on the crossing. I boarded in spain. So, we did the 34 days, which is four days better than the first hermione, that she did not have engines we had. So, equality between the two. I am from france. Im 32. I spent the past eight years living in canada. Every time i took the plane to go backandforth, i thought one day i will do that and go by boat. I never i never imagined i would do that on a tall ship. I had everything to learn. I learned absolutely everything on that boat. It is amazing how much we have learned and accomplished in such a short amount of time. From central pennsylvania. One of the really Amazing Things about sailing ships in this period are ships are machines moved by human hands. Everything we do we are doing by hand. We make the rope, we tie the rigging together we test the sails, go aloft. Its all human speed across the ocean. This ship is a little bit fast faster than 2 1 2 knots. We have her cooking along a bit. Still, it is not much faster than human speed. In todays life, we are very fast. We are always moving, trying to do things. There is none of that at sea. We are just going. We are in our own community and we get to learn we have to learn old things again. And you dont have a choice but to live in the moment. And that is something we rarely have the luxury to do when we are on land. Of course, from historical an historical standpoint, the importance of this ship, because it couldve been any ship that was rebuilt but they chose the hermione because of lafayette and his relationship to the states and the importance of their relationship with washington. And i think its a tremendous moment for all of us particularly those that organized it, francoamericans to understand that great things happened from this ship being built, being sailed across by the 320 that were aboard that ship when she came, to the understanding that those two countries came to. It the thing that came to me which i had not learned in school was that lafayette was 19 when he first crossed the ocean. He taught himself english on the crossing. To return to the ship, it was as