Before the ceremony, Port Director Ingvar M. Mathisen welcomed the captain of the aircraft carrier and representatives from the United States Embassy. The reception took place at Skur 38, the administrative headquarters for Port of Oslo.
The USS Gerald R. Ford is on its first global mission with Oslo as its inaugural port of call.
Mathisen presented the ship’s commander with Port of Oslo’s crest, a tradition welcoming new visitors to the port.
- Captain Burgess praised the Norwegian hospitality and his crew. We had a delightful conversation and discussed the ship, Oslo, and Norway. It was a privilege to present the very first port crest displayed on board the USS Gerald R. Ford, said Port of Oslo Director Mathisen.
![I henhold til tradisjonen ved førstegangsbesøk fikk skipssjefen overrakt Oslo Havns havnecrest. På bildet: Burgess og havnedirektør Ingvar M. Mathisen. Kapt. Burgess roste både den norske gjestfriheten og sitt eget mannskap. Vi hadde en svært hyggelig samtale og snakket både om skip, Oslo og Norge. Det var ekstra stas å overrekke den aller første havnecresten som skal henge](http://prokomresources.prokomcdn.no/img/transparent.png)
Lars Larsson, Commanding Officer of the Norwegian frigate KNM Roald Amundsen, Sharon Hudson, Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Oslo, and an honor guard from the USS Gerald R. Ford attended the wreath-laying ceremony.
![Commanding Officer på hangarskipet USS “Gerald R. Ford”, kaptein Rick Burgess sammen med Lars Larsson, skipssjef på den norske fregatten KNM "Roald Amundsen".](http://prokomresources.prokomcdn.no/img/transparent.png)
The Orlogsgast monument is a tribute to those who served in the joint fleet during the Danish period from 1510 to 1814 and in the Royal Norwegian Navy from 1814 to 1945. The memorial overlooks the harbor from Normandieplassen.
Link to photos: https://oslohavn.fotoware.cloud/fotoweb/archives/5008-Pressearkiv/