| VIDEO | AUDIO |
OPEN WITH A CLOSE UP SHOT OF OCEAN ROLLING
BY THE CAMERA (AS IF YOU WERE STANDING ON
THE BOW OF A DECK LOOKING DOWN AT THE
WATER ROLLING PAST YOUR SHIP.) OVER THIS,
SUPER THE TITLE:
I AM AN AMERICAN SAILOR:
A HISTORY OF THE U.S. NAVY ENLISTED |
SOUND: SFX of ocean waves; start mid- tempo music. |
| CONTINUE THE ABOVE SHOT. LOSE TITLE AND REPLACE IT WITH A NEW GRAPHIC ON THE LOWER
LEFT SCREEN: A NAVY BORN: 1775 - 1812. DISSOLVE OFF THE GRAPHIC, STILL CONTINUING THE OCEAN
FOOTAGE, AS THE NARRATION BEGINS. |
SOUND: Begin to fade out music.
HAMILTON: My name is William Hamilton. When I was a
boy of 17, I was a sailor in the United States Navy proudly
serving aboard the Bonhomme Richard, commanded by
Captain John Paul Jones. My enlistment was for only one
year, but it was a year to last me a lifetime. |
| MONTAGE OF VARIOUS PAINTINGS DEPICTING THE
BATTLE OF THE BON HOMME RICHARD VS. SERAPIS. |
In September of 1780, we were off the coast of England, in
pursuit of a British merchant convoy and all that stood in our
way was their escort vessel, Serapis. We managed to come
alongside their frigate by a bit of trickery for we flew the
British ensign. It was only when we were within pistol range
that the Captain ordered me to replace the flag with our own
red, white and blue stripes.
That was the beginning of one of history's bitterest ship-to-ship battles. For 3 ½ hours, carnage reigned on both ships
and crews as our 9 pounders wreaked havoc on Serapis' upper
deck, while her 12 pounders slowly destroyed our below
decks. In the end, Serapis surrendered, but at what a cost:
over 150 of our crew lay dead or wounded on a man-of-war
that would never recover from her blows. The day after the
battle we transferred our wounded and our flag to Serapis and
promptly renamed her the Sea Raper. It was from her deck
the next morning that we all watched as the Bonhomme
Richard at last sank into the sea. |
MONTAGE OF THE FOLLOWING:
- PAINTING OF TYPICAL SEAMAN, 1797
- CONSTELLATION IN MED. SEAS, 1804
- PAGE FROM THE CONT.CONGRESS
AUTHORIZING NAVY
- FIRST NAVY SEAL, 1780
- CONTINENTAL NAVY WARRANT
CERTIFICATE, 1775
- CONSTITUTION ARTICLE APPROPRIATING
NAVY, 1793
- PAINTING OF THE CHESAPEAKE
CONTINENTAL NAVY CUTTER TIED UP TO
DOCK, 1777
- RECRUITING POSTER, 1777
- TWO SAILORS IN A SALOON, 1778
|
It was only five years prior to this battle that our young
country even had a Navy. The Continental Congress set up
the Marine Committee in 1775 with instructions to recruit
men for ships of the Continental Navy. In point of fact, most
recruitment was done by each ship's captain, usually in
seaport taverns, where young lads, addled by drink, would
hear tall tales of adventures to come and be promised a
handsome salary of $8 a month. Still, creating a Navy and
maintaining it were two different matters. Even though the
United States Constitution was ratified in 1788, mandating
that Congress provide and maintain a Navy, it wasn't until
1794 that Congress could raise sufficient monies for the
construction of six frigates. And money too was the reason
our enlistment lasted only one year, for Congress feared the
expense of a large standing Navy. |
MONTAGE OF FOLLOWING:
- AMERICAN BOATS ATTACKING TRIPOLI
VESSELS, 1804
- CONSTELLATION DESTROYING TRIPOLI
GUNBOATS, 1804
- INTREPID BLOWS UP TRIPOLI HARBOR
- ENTERPRISE VS. A TRIPOLI SHIP
- COMBAT BETWEEN AMERICAN SAILORS AND
ARABS IN TRIPOLI
- BATTLE OF TRIPOLI
- CONSTITUTION BOMBARDING TRIPOLI
- SAILORS ON GUNBOAT IN TRIPOLI
- SAILORS FIGHTING ON SHIP DECATUR
|
That attitude, however, quickly changed during war time
conditions. During the Barbary wars, President Jefferson sent
a squadron to the Mediterranean to fight the pirates who were
commandeering our merchant ships. But the recurring need
to send each Navy ship home every year to discharge its
sailors burdened the operation for four years. As a result,
Congress authorized two-year enlistments in 1803. |
MONTAGE OF THE FOLLOWING:
- HOISTING THE STARS AND STRIPES
- SURRENDER AT YORKTOWN, 1789
- SAILORS CHEERING FROM DECK OF
CONSTITUTION
- HOISTING FLAG ABOARD USS RALEIGH
- ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN LEXINGTON &
ALERT, 1777
- BRITISH AND AMERICAN VESSELS IN ACTION,
1777
- DEFENSE CAPTURING CYRUS, 1777
|
Often I reflect on our war for independence, and what my
comrades at sea accomplished. Our Continental Navy did not
exceed at any time more than 3,000 seamen and marines. The
British Navy, by contrast, counted 110,000 seamen and
marines by war's close. And yet we successfully protected
the merchant ships carrying to us the most precious of all
cargo: gunpowder. For without it, our revolution would
surely have been lost. It is for that reason, above all others, I
say to you: I am proud to be an American Sailor. |
| FADE TO BLACK. DISSOLVE UP TO SHOW OCEAN
WAVES ROLLING BY CAMERA. BRING IN GRAPHIC
ON THE LOWER LEFT SCREEN: WOODEN SHIPS AND
IRON MEN: 1812-1865 |
ASHWOOD: It was the war of 1812 that brought the United
States Navy into great public favor, for more victories were
won at sea than on land in this campaign. |
| SHOW MONTAGE OF PAINTINGS DEPICTING THE
BATTLE BETWEEN THE CONSTITUTION AND THE GUERRIERE. |
I know of this first hand for I was an American sailor serving
on board the USS Constitution. My name is Brian Ashwood,
and that summer we engaged in battle against the British
frigate Guerriere off the coast of Boston. It was the first time
an American frigate had fought another, and a short fight it
was: in 30 minutes we had demasted the enemy, forcing her
surrender, with barely any damage to the Constitution - a
vessel that would later nicknamed Old Ironsides. |
