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USS The Sullivans preservation gets $490K boost

An American flag flies on the gray stern of the USS The Sullivans.
Michael Mroziak
/
WBFO News

The Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park is getting some needed funding to help presenrve one of its main attractions.

Rep. Brian Higgins (D-Buffalo) said he secured $490,000 to support the ongoing preservation and repairs to the USS The Sullivans, the historic, decommissioned World War II naval ship stationed on the Buffalo waterfront.

“It is fitting that we make this announcement today, April 4, 2022, 79 years to the day that USS The Sullivans was launched,” said Naval Park President and CEO Paul Marzello. “The five Sullivan brothers paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country, and it is our mission to share their story to help honor, educate, inspire and preserve their ship and their legacy for future generations.”

The 79-year-old ship has been taking on water through it's deteriorating hull below the waterline at Canalside. The Naval Park has developed a plan to make repairs to the hull and apply a Navy-approved epoxy to the underside of the ship, creating a water-tight barrier and preventing further damage.

The Fletcher-class Destroyer saw action in the Pacific Theater, the Korean War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was officially decommissioned in 1965 after earning 11 battle stars.

The funding is part of the fiscal year 2022 federal budget recently passed by Congress. Developer Doug Jemal also led a fundraising campaign last year that raised $1 million for the ship.