USS Constitution to honor Vietnam veterans with 21-gun salute on Friday
BOSTON - The USS Constitution will pay tribute to Vietnam veterans with a 21-gun salute on Friday.
Old Ironsides will go underway from the Charlestown Navy Yard at 10 a.m. The salute that can be seen from Castle Island's Fort Independence is scheduled for about 11:30 a.m.
Another 17-gun salute is planned when the ship passes the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Boston in the North End.
If you want to catch a glimpse of the event, the best viewing areas are the Boston Harborwalk, Castle Island and the Charlestown Navy Yard.
A USS Constitution crewmember, Seaman William Cooke, was the first American service member to be buried in Vietnam back in 1845. Cooke died after a long illness during the ship's World Cruise while it was anchored off Da Nang, Vietnam.
