USS Constitution Sailors March in Bunker Hill Day Parade

By Seaman Apprentice Shannon Heavin, USS Constitution Public Affairs

June 15, 2010 - CHARLESTOWN, Mass. (NNS) -- USS Constitution Sailors marched in the Bunker Hill Day parade in Charlestown June 13.

The parade honors the 235th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775, which was one of the first major engagements of the Revolutionary War.

"Marching in the parade makes me realize how proud I am to serve the same country my grandfather and uncle proudly served," said Seaman Apprentice Tori Escamilla, Constitution. "It gives me the courage to never give up."

The parade began at 12:30 p.m. on Chelsea Street. Sailors marched for two miles, ending approximately at 3 p.m. on Common Street.

"Having the USS Constitution Sailors here ties to our military heritage, representing our strength as a nation," said Marine Corps Maj. Ralph J. Rizzo, Jr, parade grand marshal. "They truly are a positive influence in the parade."

The Bunker Hill Day parade began in 1825 by members of the Bunker Hill Monument Association. Members established the association to purchase the Bunker Hill battlegrounds and construct a memorial on the site. The parade soon followed and became a military tradition.

"It is crucial to have the Sailors present, because they are the heart and soul of the United States Navy, and the Battle of Bunker Hill is the heart and soul of the United States of America," said retired Cmdr. Bob Gillen, 59th in command, Constitution.

Constitution is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard of Boston Harbor. She is the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat and welcomes more than 500,000 visitors a year.