Constellation (CV 64) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 6 text:

Let friend and foe alike know that America has the muscle to back up its words with ships like this and men like you are that muscle, ' ' President Ronald Reagan, to the crew of USS Constellation off the coast of California, August 20, 1981

Page 8 text:

. . At 9 am the frigate Constellation was launched . . . a better launch I never saw. The original VSS Constellation as she looks today. Those words were spoken by Captain Thomas Truxton on September 7, 1797, as the 38-gun frigate Constellation slid down the ways, launching a career which would span 157 years. Constellation was completed just in time, because in June of 1798, the United States became involved in her first naval war. The Quasi War, as the conflict with France was known, was largely Constella- tion ' s war. She fought and captured the 40- gun frigate L ' Insurgente. the fastest ship in the French navy. After her triumph over L ' Insurgente, Constellation scored her second victory of the war when she defeated the French war- ship La Vengeance in a bloody and violent five hour battle. Constellation fought with honor in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812. In the 1840 ' s, Constellation became the first American warship to enter the inland wa- ters of China. During the Civil War, she helped break up the slave trade and served in the Mediterranean Sea protecting mer- chant ships. Constellation was decommissioned on June 28,1933, but was recommissioned as a national symbol on August 24, 1940 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Navy ' s treasured warship ended her com- missioned service on February 4, 1955. In July 1980, Constellation arrived at her per- manent berth in Baltimore, Maryland, where she remains afloat today as a remind- er of our nation ' s proud maritime history. 4 HISTORY