The crew of USS Constitution is scheduled to commemorate the tragic loss of life and historic significance of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, aboard the ship this Friday, Sept. 11.
The ceremony will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will be live broadcasted for the public on the ship’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ussconstitutionofficial
Marine Maj. Ken Starr, who was at ground zero during the attack, will be the guest speaker for the commemoration, and the crew will host a group of Boston’s first responders.
To commemorate the tragic day USS Constitution will fire four gun salutes and playing Taps at the following times:
•8:46 a.m. – Fire one-gun salute marking the impact of American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York.
•9:03 a.m. – Fire one-gun salute marking the impact of United Airlines Flight 175 into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York.
•9:37 a.m. – Fire one-gun salute marking the impact of American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
•9:59 a.m. – Taps played from USS Constitution marking the collapse of the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York.
•10:03 a.m. – Fire one-gun salute, immediately followed by the playing of Taps marking the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Somerset County, Penn.
•10:10 a.m. – Taps played from USS Constitution marking the primary collapse of the stricken section of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
•10:28 a.m. – Taps played from USS Constitution marking the collapse of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York.
The ceremony is closed to the public; however, after the conclusion of the ceremony, USS Constitution will open for normal public visitation and will remain open until 6 p.m.
To ensure the safety of guests and USS Constitution’s Sailors during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the crew follows all preventative guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Department of the Defense and Navy leadership. At this time, no Sailors assigned to USS Constitution have tested positive for COVID-19.
The ship’s normal hours are Friday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and live virtual tours are available Monday to Thursday at 10 a.m. on the ship’s Facebook page.