Recently I moved to the nations oldest former naval yard here in Boston, quite a historic area which serves as home to the USS Constitution. As those of you may have spotted on my twitter or google+ feed, this weekend we were visited by the fleets only other commissioned sailing ship, the USCG Eagle, originally christened the SSS Horst Wessel, a ship with an incredible history.
Designed for the German Navy in 1936, the ship was christened by Adolf Hitler, and strangely would be the place he would eat one of his last dinners. After the war, the ship was claimed by the US for war reparations, and immediately christened the Eagle and set to work as a coast guard training ship. The ship has since served host to John F. Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth II, and many an eager naval cadet, ready to travel the world. Serving as a training ship and a goodwill ambassador now, it can be spotted at ports around the world.
The original figurehead, significant symbol for both the US and Germany.
