Seattle-based Navy Reserve officer Ben Brown watched the boat parade and air show marking the 250th celebration from Wagner Park in Battery Park City — and said he was taken aback by how many strangers asked to pose for photos with him while he was in uniform.
“I was kind of surprised. I mean, you know, coming from Seattle, the flavor is a little different sometimes,” Brown, dressed in his Navy whites, told The Post.
“It’s nice to see everybody is still kind of excited about the country.”
For Brown, spending America’s 250th anniversary in New York City felt like more than a holiday trip — it was a chance to reflect on the nation’s beginnings.
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“It’s just an exciting time to kind of renew our founding purpose,” he said.
“I think our country, with all the tumultuous stuff that’s been going on lately, I think it’s kind of nice to see everybody still kind of excited about the Fourth.”
Brown said he expected to spend the rest of the day exploring Manhattan as festivities continued throughout the city.
