Medal Of Honor Recipients Honored Aboard USS Constitution

BOSTON (CBS) - On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, 12 of the nation's 67 living Medal of Honor recipients boarded the USS Constitution as she cruised to Castle Island in Boston Harbor.

The Constitution and the USS Constitution Museum and Boston National Historical Park marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11 with an outdoor morning ceremony led by USS Constitution's 76th Commanding Officer Cmdr. John Benda.

Then, the Medal of Honor recipients were recognized, viewed a reenactment of Old Ironsides's War of 1812 battle with HMS Guerriere and watched a 21-gun salute at Castle Island. The Massachusetts Air National Guard's 104th Fighter Wing also conducted a flyover with F-15E Strike Eagles. There was a 17-gun salute as the Constitution passed U.S. Coast Guard Base Boston, the former site of Edmund Hartt's Shipyard, where the USS Constitution was built and launched on Oct. 21, 1797.

The USS Constitution is the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat and is open to the public from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.