CLEVELAND — The USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation and KeyBank unveiled the Lone Sailor Statue of Cleveland, to honor, recognize and celebrate the men and women who served on the sea.
A dedication ceremony was held Friday at Great Lakes Science Center where the statue is now on display.
The USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation is working with the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington D.C. to have this replica of the Lone Sailor Statue installed along the Lake Erie Shoreline.
“The unveiling of the Lone Soldier Statue is a first step on this long, proud maritime path that will mean so much to our hometown of Cleveland,” said Timothy Burke, KeyBank Northeast Ohio Market President, in a news release. “We are honored to support this multi-decade initiative involving the new USS Cleveland. It will not only bring the ship to life at commissioning, but also support her crew during her service life and then return it to our great city upon her retirement from Naval service to serve as an enduring memorial and museum to honor all four U.S. Navy ships to have carried the name Cleveland.”
The future USS Cleveland is being built in Wisconsin and will be commissioned in Cleveland in 2023. During active service, the ship will be based at the Naval Station Mayport in Florida and will serve around the world.
The foundation said after an approximate 20-25 year lifespan, it will return home to Cleveland, where it will be docked at the Great Lakes Science Center. The shop will become a permanent museum and memorial to all four U.S. Navy ships that have the name Cleveland.
“The USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation is doing what no other American city has done to link its citizens to a namesake ship,” said Mike Dovilla, President and Executive Director of the USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation, in a news release. “Since the ship’s naming nearly three years ago, a dedicated team has been developing and executing the initial stages of a long-term vision to connect the people of Cleveland with the future USS Cleveland. The dedication of the Lone Sailor Statue in Cleveland, only the 18th location in the world, is just the first of many public events that will celebrate a civic relationship and spirit of patriotism we are confident will be robust and durable.
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