BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A historic landmark celebrated its 80th birthday in the Queen City Saturday.

The USS The Sullivans, a retired U.S. Navy destroyer docked at the Buffalo Naval & Military Park, was affixed with a “Happy birthday” banner and honored with a ceremony and its own birthday cake as the park commemorated the 80th anniversary of the ship’s commissioning.

Shane Stephenson, the naval park’s director of museum collections, told News 4 The Sullivans endured a difficult few years after the ship partially sank in 2022, but this anniversary is a milestone.

“We’ve all worked very hard in our unified command to make sure that we were here for the 80th and to be here for another 80 years,” Stephenson said. “We’re slowly working through plans — survivability plans, dry docking plans — to make sure that she can be enjoyed and learned from for the next 80 years.”

Stephenson said the park plans to take the ship out of the water to dry dock it but have yet to set a date.