BUFFALO, N.Y. — A week of events leading up to the commissioning of the U.S. Navy's new combat ship is wrapping up.
The USS Little Rock arrived at Buffalo's Lake Erie waterfront earlier this month. The crew of the 389-foot littoral combat ship (LCS) has been the focus of a series of events held in the Buffalo area.
On Friday the Little Rock Association is holding its annual memorial service at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park, home to the original USS Little Rock, built as a light cruiser during World War II. Officials from the city of Little Rock will attend a reception Friday night.
The commissioning ceremony is being held Saturday morning. It will be the first time in the Navy's 242-year history that a combat ship will be commissioned alongside its namesake.