U.S. destroyer commemorates 100-year-old journey

One hundred years ago, nearly half a million people cheered as 16 white-painted American warships cruised into Sydney Harbor, forging an alliance between the United States and the fledgling Down Under nation.

On Wednesday, it was a small group of Australian and American military officials and diplomats who welcomed the USS John S. McCain into the harbor in a commemoration of the 1908 visit of the Great White Fleet.

A military band on shore at the navy's fleet base played"Waltzing Matilda" and hundreds of U.S. sailors stood at attention on the deck of the guided missile destroyer as it cruised into the harbor, exactly 100 years to the day of the fleet's historic visit.