BOSTON (WHDH) - Navy sailors on the USS Constitution fired off a 21-gun salute Monday in a Memorial Day ceremony in honor of the service members who died serving aboard the ship.
The crew fired one round each minute, for 21 minutes, according to a statement from the USS Constitution. At the event, the crew also honored Gold Star families — relatives of US service members who have died in the line of duty.
“They made the ultimate sacrifice to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and we are the ones who benefit from their selflessness. Now it is up to us to continue this tradition to remember what they have done in sacrifice, so that may never be forgotten,” the crew said during the ceremony.
Following Navy regulation and custom, the ship flew the United States flag at half-staff in the morning, and raised it to full height following the salute, the statement said. The crew also rang the ship’s bell to honor each service member who died service aboard the ship.
The USS Constitution was open for public tours Monday, and will remain open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sunday.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)