‘Man our ship and bring her to life!’: USS Cleveland arrives downtown this weekend for commissioning

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Don’t be alarmed when you see a Navy warship pulling into downtown Cleveland this Saturday!

The USS Cleveland is set to be commissioned into official service on May 16, but arrives this weekend to prepare for the event.

This will be the fourth ship to be named after the city of Cleveland and is classified as a Littoral Combat Ship (LCS 31).

The estimated cost of the new vessel is between $600-$800 million.

According to the Navy the motto of the ship will be, “Forge a Legacy,” which is a nod to the city’s steel industry.

There are a number of events being held Saturday both on land and lake.

While next week’s commissioning is being planned by the U.S. Navy, there are several auxiliary events being planned by the USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation for the arrival of the ship this weekend.

Beginning at sunrise this Saturday, a flotilla is being organized of private boats and watercraft to officially escort in the new ship into port in downtown Cleveland near Huntington Bank Field.

At the same time, people are being asked to gather at a number of lake parks with flags to serve as a Color Guard to the arriving ship.

Here is a list of the parks:

1. Main Street Beach & Park (480 Main St., Vermilion)
2. Lakeview Park (1615 W Erie Ave., Lorain)
3. Community Park and Boat Launch (4101 E Lake Rd., Sheffield Lake)
4. Veterans Memorial Park (32756 Lake Rd, Avon Lake)
5. Huntington Reservation / Huntington Beach (28492 Lake Rd., Bay Village)
6. Bradstreet’s Landing (22400 Lake Rd., Rocky River)
7. Lakewood Park, Solstice Steps (14532 Lake Ave., Lakewood)
8. Edgewater Park (Cleveland)

If interested in this event you’re being asked to register here.

The main event will be the official commissioning next Saturday, May 16th.

This commissioning was initially planned for last fall, and at that time it was thought President Donald Trump would attend.

No word on if he will be in Cleveland on the 16th.

“The sponsor of LCS 31 is Robyn Modly, the wife of former Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly,” according to a Navy press release.

“In keeping with Navy tradition, Modly will give the order during the ceremony to “man our ship and bring her to life!” At that moment, the commissioning pennant will be hoisted, and USS Cleveland will officially enter the fleet," the release states.