Uss Cleveland arrives downtown before May 16 commissioning

The uss cleveland is set to arrive downtown Cleveland this Saturday, a step toward its May 16 commissioning into official service. The Navy’s LCS 31 will be escorted into port by private boats and watercraft beginning at sunrise, with people also asked to gather at lake parks with flags as a Color Guard.

Robyn Modly and LCS 31

Robyn Modly, the sponsor of LCS 31, will give the order to “man our ship and bring her to life!” during the commissioning ceremony. At that moment, the commissioning pennant will be hoisted and the ship will officially enter the fleet.

The vessel is the fourth ship named after Cleveland and carries a cost estimate between $600 million and $800 million. Its motto will be “Forge a Legacy,” a phrase the Navy ties to Cleveland’s steel industry.

May 16 in Cleveland

The commissioning is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, after it was initially planned for last fall. At that time, it was thought Donald Trump would attend, but there is no word on whether he will be in Cleveland on May 16.

The arrival this weekend is the public face of that schedule. The USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation is organizing the auxiliary events around the ship’s visit, while the Navy is planning the commissioning ceremony itself.

Downtown lakefront activities

For Cleveland residents, the clearest change comes Saturday morning, when the ship is expected to move into port with a flotilla at sunrise and a lakefront Color Guard gathering nearby. The weekend sets up the city’s role in the Navy ceremony before the ship enters official service on May 16.