Patriots Day & the USS Constitution

Last Sunday was Patriots Day, a day to commemorate the anniversary of the first battle of the American Revolutionary War. Patriotism is something that we would like to blog about here at Short Run Pro, although possibly from a slightly different angle. True patriotism is what has infused America, its people and the things we make with the highest quality craftsmanship in the world. We believe that if you love something you will invest your best into it. That is what a patriot does for his country.

As an example of the affects of patriotism on craftsmanship we submit the USS Constitution. This Warship was built and put into service by the United States in 1797 with the Naval Armament Act signed by George Washington. It was listed among six frigates commissioned in the act as the initial step toward a U.S. Navy. The USS Constitution went to work quickly and won all her engagements in the both the Quasi War and the Barbary War. But her most formidable test was to come in 1812 when President James Madison declared war on then Super Naval Power – England. During that war, the USS Constitution, fewer than 3 different captains, defeated five English warships.

It was during the battle with the HMS Guerriere that our warship received her nickname, Old Ironsides. During this engagement it was reported that the British saw their cannon fire bounce off the Constitution’s hull leaving little or no damage. It was thought by the enemy sailors that the boat was constructed with iron sides and hence the nickname. The condition of the two ships may have supported the enemy’s conclusions as the Guerriere was left a smoldering; dismasted hull while the Constitution was intact and sailing. The sides may not have had iron in them but they had a lot of patriotism!

The success of the USS Constitution no doubt surprised the British naval commanders, and it surely came as a bit of a surprised to many U.S. naval commanders as well. But it is far less likely to have surprised the men in the Boston shipyard where Old Ironsides was built. If we go back to that patriotism being connected to workmanship thing you should know that the USS Constitution was built with so much patriotism that she could have floated above the waves if necessary. In a time when being free from tyranny meant something, when that freedom was threatened in what was called the Second War of Independence, the men who built the USS Constitution invested their patriotism in a ship that would defend and uphold their freedom. They built a warship that would not be defeated.

Now at the ripe age of 214 years, Old Ironsides is the oldest commissioned warship still afloat in the world. That is long lasting, quality workmanship. That is made in the USA craftsmanship. We at Short Run Pro believe that the same patriotic craftsmanship that built the USS Constitution and keeps her afloat for over 200 years is alive and well in the hearts of the American worker today. Let the patriot in you be seen today.

For more information on Patriots Day -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriots'_Day

For more information on the USS Constitution -

http://www.history.navy.mil/ussconstitution/

For more information on Short Run Pro –

http://www.shortrunpro.com

Honoring The Railroad and what it has meant to the USA.

At Short Run Pro we love the USA. We love its past. We love it now and we love its future! Sometimes it is beneficial to remember some of the great accomplishments the people of the United States did to make our country great. In this blog we want to remember the railroad!

Pictured is a steam locomotive from the Seaboard Air Line Railroad Company. This particular engine was donated to Charlotte, NC after its permanent retirement in 1959. Locomotives of this type played a critical role in the development of our country and particularly the south and western area of the USA. The service engine pictured was built in 1920. It was retired off of the Gainesville Midland Railroad in Georgia. It was one of the last steam engines in service in the south.

Whether it was the connecting of the Transamerica rail system or the regional duties performed, the railroad has contributed to making our country great. Transportation of equipment and people, moving mountains of building materials, conducting wars, and expanding into new territories has all been part of the railroad’s resume. So we honor the great achievements made by the railroad companies, the workers who ran those companies and the pioneers who laid the tracks that extended this countries opportunities and its people's dreams.