One of only 19 such works in the world, Cleveland’s Lone Sailor Statue now has a permanent home along Cleveland’s waterfront.
The Lone Sailor Statue’s official unveiling last Saturday, Oct. 12 included a ceremony and ribbon cutting at the new Lone Sailor Monument Plaza in Voinovich Bicentennial Park. The Great Lakes Science Center hosted the Lone Sailor statue for three years, and Saturday marked the official move to its permanent home.
Jim Folk, board chair of the USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation (USSCLF), was one of many who helped make the plaza possible.
“We wanted to create this permanent memorial to northeast Ohio, to the Sea Services,” he said. “The outpouring that we’ve got from Clevelanders is absolutely terrific. There’s been a lot of work going into it.”
Volunteers hold flags during Lone Sailor Plaza ribbon cutting ceremonyA crowd of several hundred gathered around the plaza to watch the ceremony and experience a bit of history in the making. “We’re just here to support our veterans and support the commissioning of the ship,” said spectator Keith Abood, who stood with friends and fellow veterans to watch the statue unveiling and hear about the 2025 ship commissioning event.
The ceremony included the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines reserve infantry battalion from Brook Park, which provided the color guard and welcome to Vice Admiral John Nowell, Jr., USN (Ret.), the president and CEO of the U.S. Navy Memorial and representatives from Ninth Coast Guard District headquarters.
The Warrensville Heights High School and Shaw High School marching bands, which will travel to Hawaii in December to perform in the 2024 Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade, provided the music for the celebration.
Citizen and military volunteers of all ages held flags and circled the plaza as a patriotic backdrop for the ceremony.
A 37-year history
The seven-foot-tall Lone Sailor Statue represents the Sea Services, which include the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines. He is an iconic symbol of the Navy Memorial’s mission to “Honor, Recognize, and Celebrate the men and women of the Sea Services, past, present, and future,” and to inform the public about their service. The original Lone Sailor statue was erected in Washington, DC in 1987.
Honor & Memorial Wall at Lone Sailor PlazaThe Lone Sailor’s home on the waterfront is accessible and meaningful, says Ricardo Popovsky, who served 11 years in the Marine Corps as an aviator. He came to the event with friends to see the statue’s new home.
“It’s touching and patriotic. I saluted it. It’s important,” Popovsky said of the monument after the ceremony. “And then the view from the front of it looking this way—what a wonderful picture that is going to be for all these people that will come here.”
Brigadier General Peter B. Collins, USMC (Ret.) and CEO of the USSCLF, was emotional after attending the ceremony.
“Under the shadow of Cleveland’s Lone Sailor, future generations will be inspired to enter the armed services,” he said. “When folks who have previously served walk up with their grandkids, the conversation will start when they see the statue and the stories will just come out.”
For Collins, it’s also personal. “My family lived 30 years in the Marine Corps,” he told the group. “When I walk up to that statue, I think about my service.”
The Lone Sailor Monument Plaza will be a backdrop for future military ceremonies, such as enlistments, commissioning of ships, retirements, and memorial services.
Historic and monumental
The Lone Sailor Statue is just one feature of the plaza—it is joined by two honor and memorial walls with plaques featuring names of those who have served or are currently serving, including local military men and women.
Hundreds gather for the unveiling ceremony at Lone Sailor PlazaThe ceremony also outlined plans for the local commissioning of the USS Cleveland (LCS 31), in 2025. Several young sailors who will be part of the 110-person crew participated in the ceremony. The ship, which is the fourth in U.S history named for the city of Cleveland, will be a 378-foot Freedom-class littoral U.S. Navy combat ship.
She is currently in production in Wisconsin, with the help of contractors and suppliers from Ohio. The commissioning next year will mark the first time a U.S. Navy Ship named Cleveland will actually visit Cleveland and will also mark the first time a Navy ship will be commissioned in the city.
“It’s historic. It’s monumental. It’s a good thing for Cleveland,” said Abood.
When the USS Cleveland (LCS 31) retires, the goal of the USSCLF is to return the ship to Cleveland to be docked in front of the Great Lakes Science Center and become a permanent museum. The dock location will put the ship near the Lone Sailor, indefinitely.
“Anything that gives Cleveland a bit more recognition especially nationally, it’s all a bonus for us. It’s a win-win for everybody,” adds Popovsky.
The commissioning event will be part of a weeklong Navy celebration and is expected to draw 20,000 people who will get to experience all of Cleveland and celebrate the momentous time.
“We love being able to connect the ship, which is named for our city, to all neighborhoods, people and age groups,” says Courtney Smrdel, director of the USSCLF. “A ship bearing our name will travel the globe, representing our city. We want folks around Cleveland to know how special that is.”