In October 1908, Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee became one the first 20 nurses in the newly-formed Navy nurse corps (commonly referred to as The Sacred Twenty). She also became the second superintendent of the Navy nurse corps in 1911. For her service during World War I, Higbee became the first living woman to receive the Navy Cross. She retired from the Navy nurse corps in November 1922. The first ship named after Higbee, USS Higbee (DD 806), was the first combat warship named after a woman member of the U.S. Navy. Pre-Commisioning Unit Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123) was launched January 27, 2020, and will be commissioned in 2023.

Last Updated: 30 March 2023