[img]http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/constitution/iron020704.jpg[/img]
THE USS CONSTITUTION !!

[size=4]OLD IRONSIDES[/size=4]
By Oliver Wendell Holmes  September 16, 1830

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 bulk
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!

Eric The(TearyEyed)Hun[>]:)]

How is she under way with all sails furled?

Have they added power? Say it isn't so....

AUTHOR'S NOTE
By Oliver Wendell Holmes

This was the popular name by which the frigate Constitution was known. The poem was first printed in the Boston Daily Advertiser, at the time when it was proposed to break up the old ship as unfit for service. I subjoin the paragraph which led to the writing of the poem. It is from the Advertiser of Tuesday, September 14, 1830:--

"Old Ironsides.--- It has been affirmed upon good authority that the Secretary of the Navy has recommended to the Board of Navy Commissioners to dispose of the frigate Constitution. Since it has been understood that such a step was in contemplation we have heard but one opinion expressed, and that in decided disapprobation of the measure. Such a national object of interest, so endeared to our national pride as Old Ironsides is, should never by any act of our government cease to belong to the Navy, so long as our country is to be found upon the map of nations. In England it was lately determined by the Admiralty to cut the Victory, a one-hundred gun ship (which it will be recollected bore the flag of Lord Nelson at the battle of Trafalgar), down to a seventy-four, but so loud were the lamentations of the people upon the proposed measure that the intention was abandoned. We confidently anticipate that the Secretary of the Navy will in like manner consult the general wish in regard to the Constitution, and either let her remain in ordinary or rebuild her whenever the public service may require."--New York Journal of Commerce.

Eric The(Historical,TearyEyed)Hun[>]:)]

I toured it last December. Too bad the cannons are fake... [:(].

[img]http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/misc/hsv-pierside.jpg[/img]

and something new......

"The High Speed Vessel, Experimental Craft One, (HSV-1), Joint Venture, prepares to get underway during local training exercises in the Arabian Gulf. Joint Venture, an experimental craft, was originally designed as a civilian car and passenger ferry. Currently, it is in the research and development stage to be used by the United States military as a rapid troop and equipment transport carrier. Joint Venture is currently on a scheduled six to twelve month deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. "

Yep, I was disappointed as well, but real cannons would put too much weight & stress on the ship.

Wasn't it amazing how cool it was down under?

Help Save Old Ironsides
by Mike Kelly

Most Americans instantly recognize the nickname of one of our country's most famous fighting ships, the U.S.S. Constitution. And if you're planning on visiting it this summer in Boston, don't get alarmed and cancel your trip because of the headline above. Old Ironsides is in great shape at present, swaying gently and majestically at her moorings. But such was not always the case.

One of the first three naval vessels built in the United States, this 44-gun frigate with its solid oak hull and distinctive copper plating (courtesy of Paul Revere's shop) was launched in 1797, and began her legendary career within that year by ridding American waters of swarms of French privateers. In the early 1800's, African pirates based in Tripoli had so disrupted international sea traffic that the United States and others were humiliated into paying an annual tribute of "protection money" to keep trade going. In 1804, we had had enough and declared war on the piratical thugs of the Barbary States. As a consequence of the long procession of pirate vessels dispatched into the murky depths of the Mediterranean by our Constitution's pounding cannon, the Pasha of the Barbary States begged for unconditional surrender to bring "Operation Barbary Storm" to an end.

This episode alone would have been more than enough to ensure a place of honor in the annals of American naval history for this proud man-o'-war, but despite having to be remasted and repaired after each intense engagement, the indomitable Constitution continued to defend our shores and sea lanes as Britain's last attempt at regaining her truant colony, the War of 1812, reached across the Atlantic.

In August of 1812, with the British blockade of our eastern and gulf coasts strangling the flow of French trade goods, the Constitution broke free of Boston Harbor, then engaged the larger British frigate Guerriere in a long battle. The sight of cannonballs bouncing off her thick oak sides during this fierce contest prompted one gunner to taunt his British adversaries across the waves with "Huzzah, her sides are made of IRON," imparting a nickname she would carry forever. As final proof of the title, Old Ironsides reduced the Guerriere to floating rubble that wasn't even of value as a prize, then set her carcass on fire and sank her.

While there were many battles just as fierce before and after in the War of 1812, this particular incident occurred at a point when our morale was at its lowest point, with our national spirit still shackled by a centuries-old belief in Britain's Sovereignty of the Seas that needed to be shattered as it was on August 19th, 1812, before we could see the possibility of victory.

Her exploits would continue to make the U.S.S. Constitution the Grande Dame of the American fleet well into the next century, but the cost of battle had been high, and she now faced new enemies -- old age and bureaucracy. Faced with yet another expensive overhaul of her tradition-soaked decks, the government first toyed with dismantling Old Ironsides in the 1830s. A young Boston law student, Oliver Wendell Holmes, rallied the public's patriotic spirit to preserve this treasure when his poem was published nationwide.

Eric The(Historical)Hun[>]:)]

[img]http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/destroyers/cole/cole-norva04.jpg[/img]
[b]SHE'S BAAAAAAAAAAAACK![/b] and ready to kick some ass!!

Crewmembers "man the rail" as the destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) returns to her homeport of Norfolk, Va. Cole has been at the Northrop Grumman Ship System facility in Pascagoula, Miss., for the past 14 months undergoing repairs after a terrorist bomb blew a hole in her port side while refueling in the port city of Aden, Yemen, killing 17 sailors. Forty of the crew on board at the time of the attack have elected to remain on Cole.

When I was in High School(1962) I liked models.(Plastic ones too! [;D]) I had airplanes and cars every where in my room. My biggest was The Constitution. Rigging and all.( some rigging was smashed by my son when he was 3 when he brought it in to the den clutching it by the masts![:D]) Its still at my moms house in my room! Took me months to paint and then assemble and the rigging![shock] AHHHHH! Nice picture...Thanks!

Our very own, Urban Redneck was walking the deck of the USS Constitution last weekend. He even called me from the ship as it was heading out. [smoke]

Yes I was. Underway for 2 hours around Boston Harbor. The ship was pulled by two harbor tug boats. No engines on Old Ironsides. The four Coast Guard vessel escort was comforting. Four very alert looking Coasties watching over me and mine with M249 SAW's was very nice. The ship was in great shape and the Navy band did great. All in all a great time! I was one of 100 people that won the cruise. And I never win anything.....    [:D]

Tugboats! Every July 4th they push her out into the harbor and turn her around so that she weathers evenly. It's a big thing to be invited aboard for the "Turnaround Cruise". They only take about 200 aboard. I was fortunate enough to be onboard many years ago. They had Edward Rowe Snow onboard who gave a running commentary on the History of the Ship, the harbor and harbor islands.

Last I knew, they had one operational cannon which they use for ceremonial purposes. During the cruise, they have re-enactors, National Guard, Army units located in South Boston, who fire a salute when she passes. The Navy ships present for the ceremony also fire salutes all of which are returned by the Constitution.

When the cruise is over, they have a big lunch for the attendees and award certificates to  commemorate the experience.

The old, original sails, which were stored in the original sail loft of Charlestown Navy Yard, had rotted decades ago, so a few years ago the Navy spent millions to replace the sails, perform a structural integrity survey of the masts, and replace a lot of the rigging to put it into working order. Up until then, most of the rigging, although in place, was not operational. The hard part was finding people who knew how to operate the ship under sail, and train the Navy crew to climb the masts and set the sails.

They took her out, under sail and she sailed up and down the NE Coast...although not under full sail due to the strain on the ship. But, even under partial sail she was a beautiful sight.

For 2 plus years I worked at a radio station less than 200 yards from the Constitution. Used to go over there when the crowds were gone. Just stand there staring. What a sight.