2652

JOINT RESOLUTIONS

No. 24

Revolution, at Fells Point on September 7, 1797; and

WHEREAS, The Constellation put to sea with a
Maryland Navy and Marine Corps crew to defeat and capture
the French Frigate L'Insurgente on February 9, 1799 and
to defeat the Frigate of 54 guns known as La Vengeance on
February 1, 1800; and

WHEREAS, The Constellation under Stephen Decatur, a
Maryland Son, did capture the Algerian Frigate Mashuda in
1815 and remained as an active ship of the Navy for 155
years in service until decommissioned on February 15,
1955 to be transferred to Maryland, her home state; and

WHEREAS, Franklin Buchanan, of Maryland, founded the
United States Naval Academy on the tanks of the Severn
River at Annapolis and served as the first Superintendent
of the Naval Academy; and

WHEREAS, Maryland has been the site of the building
of some 500 famous ships of the U. S. Navy and many
famous merchant ships including the Liberty Ship Patrick
Henry, first of her class, in 1942; and

WHEREAS, Every famous commander of the Navy to
include Admirals Farragut, D. Porter, Dewey, Simms,
Nimitz, Halsey, Lahey, Anderson and Zumwalt were all
residents of Maryland for their Midshipman years on the
Severn; and

WHEREAS, Maryland as the heme of the famous
privateers, clipper ships, skipjacks, pungy schooners,
bugeyes, schooner yacht America, and the Frigates
Virginia, Constellation and Guerriere—II are world
renowned; and

WHEREAS, Benjamin Stoddert and Robert Smith of
Maryland were the first Secretaries of the Navy and J.
William Middendorf of Maryland is currently the Secretary
of the Navy; and

WHEREAS, John Paul Jones, the Father of the U. S.
Navy and Hero of the Revolutionary Navy, is buried at
Annapolis in the Midshipman's Chapel; and

WHEREAS, Maryland, more than any other state, has a
tradition of the Navy, ships and love of the sea
unequaled in American history; and

WHEREAS, The Maryland Sea Service Cadets, a Maryland
youth activity, will be racing against British Cadets as
a part of the Bicentennial's Operation Sail—76 in their
famous schooner, Freedom, for the Bicentennial Cup; and

WHEREAS, Maryland will be in the forefront of naval
and sailing activities and will be visited by tall
sailing ships from all over the world who will be
spectators in the race between Freedom and the cadet