Today the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park kicked off its 2017 season with an opening day Ceremony. The Naval Park has been an important part of the Buffalo waterfront since 1979.
The park dedicated this year’s season to the memory of Colonel Patrick J. Cunningham, the Park’s Executive Director since 1993, who passed away yesterday.
The ceremony marked the 40th anniversary of the arrival of its first two ships, the USS Little Rock and USS the Sullivans in 1977.
The Naval Park posthumously honored three servicemen who played a part in the delivery of those ships to Buffalo’s Harbor. They included Michael Bertini, Thomas Heilig, and Leonard Sniadecki, whose families received Recognition Award Certificates.
There are many events in the works at the Naval Park this season, including its annual Party in the Park fundraiser August 22, hosted on the deck of the USS Little Rock.
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