Sir: “Old Ironsides” lived up to her name during the hurricane that hit New England in 1938. [“A Memorandum to Oliver Wendell Holmes,” February, 1970].
As the daughter of a naval officer living in the Boston Navy Yard, I remember my father being called out during the height of the storm. Old Ironsides’ stern lines had parted. Her stern swung over and dented the then new, all steel destroyer U.S.S. Phelps , tied up at an adjacent dock. As I recall, there was not a scratch on the old Constitution! …
She is priceless and must be preserved.