Military history walking tours complement Homecoming 250 Navy Marine Corps events

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — With Homecoming 250 tours, you can hear some of the country’s military origin stories.

“We’re looking at John Barry, the father of the American Navy,” says Jim Murphy, a writer and one of the tour guides with the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides.

You can hear those stories while literally hitting the bricks around Independence National Historical Park.

“The Association of Philly Tour Guides have about seven different people offering tours,” says Murphy.

“They’re all organizing this to help people learn more about the Navy Marine Corps,” says George Leone, President of Homecoming 250 Navy Marine Corps.

Tours were built to help guide visitors coming to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of these two military branches.

“And both of them happened here in Philadelphia,” says Murphy.

Murphy is giving tours around Congress Hall and other historic sites. His tour is called ‘Philly Fighting Men and One Woman.’ That one woman is Harriet Tubman.

“And we’ve picked a number of really important fighting men like John Barry, who’s behind Independence Hall,” he says. “He’s pointing at the Delaware River and he’s saying to the British, ‘I’m coming after you and I’m coming after you hard,’ and he did.”

His tour includes the Free Quaker Meeting House and the Arch Street Meeting House, where you can see the grave of Samuel Nicholas.

“The founder of the United States Marine Corps,” says Murphy.

“It’s important for us to remember the great history that lies all around us,” says Leone. “There’s so many naval heroes buried here, and marine heroes buried here.”

Philly Magic Tours covers the legend of Tun Tavern.

“Both the Navy and the Marine Corps were founded there,” says Murphy. “They recruited at Tun Tavern, because where else would you want to recruit fighting men, then at a tavern.”

Another tour features St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, and if you’re not into walking, you can do a bike tour of the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

“Hear about military heroes that helped save America,” he says. “Many of them gave their lives for us and we don’t know about them. We don’t talk about them enough.”

“They have monuments that are worth seeing and stories worth telling,” says Leone.

Be sure to tune into 6abc for our coverage of all the Homecoming 250 events, including the parade on Monday, October 13 starting at 11:30 am.

For more information:
Homecoming 250 Navy Marine Corps
Link to Homecoming 250 Walking & Bike Tours