Commander sails ship home at fiesta time
As a teenager, Anthony J. Parisi worked as a crew member on his father's boat and dreamed of making a career at sea.
The third-generation fisherman followed his dream and became a captain. But instead of running a fishing boat off Cape Ann, he is now commander of USS The Sullivans, overseeing more than 300 sailors on the guided-missile destroyer.
Today will be a homecoming for Parisi, who will bring the 505-foot vessel into Gloucester Harbor this morning. The boat will be anchored in the port until Monday, and will be open for public boarding during that time.
"I would never have thought when I was 12 or 13 working on my dad's boat that I would come back as the captain of a Navy destroyer," said Parisi, who spoke from aboard the warship, which is capable of simultaneously performing anti air, anti submarine, and anti surface warfare.
Parisi, 40, will return home for the St. Peter's Fiesta, now underway. The traditional celebration includes an open-air Mass to honor the patron saint of fishermen, a blessing of the fishing fleet, a procession of the statue of St. Peter through downtown streets, and competitive events such as seine boat races and a greasy pole contest.
If it were possible to have fishing and the Atlantic in his blood, Parisi would qualify. Both of his grandfathers were fishermen, and his father, James, owned the Gloucesterman, a 78-foot fishing trawler, from 1978-1995. Parisi's father now works as the city's assistant harbormaster.
Throughout his teens, Commander Parisi dreamed of following the family's fishing tradition but instead settled on a career in the Navy. "My dad steered me away from it early on because there wasn't a lot of money in it and he wanted me to go to college," said Parisi.
Parisi graduated from Gloucester High School in 1984, and earned his commission from Norwich University in 1988. In 1994, he received his master's from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.
The Sullivans is the second Navy vessel Parisi has commanded. From 1997-99, he was captain of the USS Zephyr, a coastal patrol ship. Parisi was appointed commander of The Sullivans last year.
He has also served as a boarding officer to help enforce sanctions against Iraq during Operation Desert Storm in 1992, and as a naval intelligence analyst in Kosovo in 1999. For the last several months, Parisi's ship has helped support the US Sixth Fleet in Europe, assisting in the search for terrorists at sea.
When Parisi arrives on land today, he will be greeted by his wife, Joy, his daughter, Madison , 11, and his son, Dylan, who is 7. Parisi last saw them in November before deploying to the Middle East. The family lives in Ponte Vedra, Fla.
Later today, Parisi will return to his childhood home in East Gloucester, just minutes from his favorite beach, Good Harbor Beach. "We've cooked him lasagna and meatballs. We'll have it all ready. Anything he wants he'll get," said his mother, Maria .
In between trips to his ship, Parisi will have a full schedule on land. Parisi and a group of sailors will compete in a seine boat race against a Coast Guard contingent, and tomorrow night, a color guard from The Sullivans will be at Fenway Park for the Red Sox-Rangers game. On Sunday, Parisi will take part in the St. Peter's statue procession.
In between, he plans to spend most of his time with his family and visiting his favorite places, such as the Gloucester House restaurant, where he worked as a cook during high school. He will also return to the Halibut Point restaurant, where he proposed to Joy in 1993.
"It's a dream come true and I never thought I could do it," said Parisi, anticipating his hometown return. "It's unusual for a captain to sail a ship into his hometown. It's pretty special. It doesn't happen all of the time."
The public will be able to visit The Sullivans today and Sunday from 1-4 p.m.; and tomorrow, Saturday, and Monday from 9-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. Boats to the ship will leave from the Gloucester Redevelopment Authority's Harbor Cove dock on Rogers Street. Ship visitors will be screened and subject to search. No weapons, drinking containers, or bags will be permitted; small purses and cameras will be allowed. The ship is not handicapped accessible, and people with medical conditions will not be allowed on board. 
