USS Higgins (DDG 76) Participates in 85th Black Ship Festival

SHIMODA, Japan (May 17, 2024) Cmdr. Ron Jenkins from Columbia, South Carolina, the commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) receives a wreath to place on a tombstone during a memorial service at Gyokusenji Temple in Shimoda, Japan, May 17. The memorial service is part of the 85th Black Ship Festival commemorating the 171st anniversary of the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry in Japan in 1853, a historical event that marked the beginning of diplomacy and trade agreements between the U.S. and Japan. Higgins is forward deployed and assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest DESRON and the U.S. 7th fleet’s principal surface force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Hannah Fry)