USS KEARSARGE became the flagship of the North Atlantic Fleet cruising down the Atlantic seaboard and in the Caribbean. She sailed into Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where, on December 10, 1903, the United States took formal possession of the Guantanamo Naval Reservation. From there she led the North Atlantic Battleship Squadron on goodwill calls to many European ports. In December 1907 the USS KEARSARGE, now commanded by Captain Herbert Winslow, following in the path of his illustrious father, became a part of the famous "Great White Fleet" of battleships sent around the world by President Theodore Roosevelt. The cruise, lasting more than a year, was an overwhelming success, showing the flag and spreading good will. This dramatic gesture impressed the world with the power of the U.S. Navy.
