There have been many men of uncommon valor who have sailed aboard USS Constitution in her storied history, but probably very so many as those who gathered for her turnaround cruise on Saturday. Here's
a picture of the group:
What makes these men so special? Well, they include 70 recipients of the Medal of Honor, who were onboard the
Constitution for a
very special purpose:
More than 60 Medal of Honor recipients took part in a special Medal of Honor flag presentation in a ceremony aboard USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides," here Sept. 30.
The flag was created by an Act of Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush Oct. 23, 2002. Each service was charged with presenting the flag to its recipients in an appropriate ceremonial manner.
The flag can only be presented to a Medal of Honor recipient or a recipient’s primary next of kin by a top-ranking member of the armed forces.
More pictures of the event can be
found here. I was originally going to call this post "A Gathering Of Heroes" when I first saw the picture this morning, but I saw tonight that
Eagle1 had beat me to that tagline. No matter what you call it, it's still a chance for us to reflect on the valor shown by these men in the service of our country, and honor them for their bravery.
What makes these men so special? Well, they include 70 recipients of the Medal of Honor, who were onboard the Constitution for a very special purpose:
