USS Constitution

"Old Ironsides" is the oldest commissioned warship afloat

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Old Ironsides by Oliver Wendell Holmes

Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!
Long has it waved on high,
And many an eye has danced to see
That banner in the sky;
Beneath it rung the battle shout,
And burst the cannon's roar;
The meteor of the ocean air
Shall sweep the clouds no more!

Her deck, once red with heroes' blood,
Where knelt the vanquished foe,
When winds were hurrying o'er the flood
And waves were white below,
No more shall feel the victor's tread,
Or know the conquered knee;
The harpies of the shore shall pluck
The eagle of the sea!

Oh, better that her shattered hulk
Should sink beneath the wave;
Her thunders shook the mighty deep,
And there should be her grave;
Nail to the mast her holy flag,
Set every threadbare sail,
And give her to the God of storms,
The lightning and the gale!

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David A Young April 4, 2015 at 8:43pm

June of '61 coming out of boot camp with a set of orders to USS Constitution IX-21. I asked around but nobody knew what it was. My company commander a BMC had no idea. Oh well. A few weeks later I'm walking around a building on Boston Ship Yard and I see and old wooden ship and a Destroyer in the dry dock. I chose the dry dock. I was wrong. Walking towards this wooden ship wondering what was this? when a sailor ran down the gangway and grabbed my seabag and carried it aboard for me. That was unexpected, like everything else.

This began an interesting tour I view with mixed emotions.

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Still in Commission

I'm reading this fantastic book on American History. One inspiring story is that of the USS Constitution, the oldest warship still in commission. The USS Constitution first saw service against the Barbary Pirates, traveling all the way to Africa and launching the first attacks by the Marines (inspiring "the shores of Tripoli"). The success of the USS Constitution oversees brought credibility to our young country and instantly brought us respect as a naval force in the world. This proud honor…