Editing USS Constitution (section)

===Bicentennial celebrations===
Commander [[Tyrone G. Martin]] became her captain in August 1974, as preparations began for the upcoming United States Bicentennial celebrations. He set the precedent that all construction work on ''Constitution'' was to be aimed towards maintaining her to the 1812 configuration for which she is most noted.<ref name="Martin365">Martin (1997), p. 365.</ref> In September 1975, her hull classification of IX-21 was officially canceled.<ref name="DANFS" />

The privately run [[USS Constitution Museum]] opened on 8 April 1976, and Commander Martin dedicated a tract of land as "[[Constitution Grove]]" one month later, located at the [[Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division|Naval Surface Warfare Center]] in Indiana. The {{convert|25000|acres|km2}} now supply the majority of the white oak required for repair work.<ref name="AmericanForests" /> On 10 July, ''Constitution'' led the parade of [[tall ship]]s up Boston Harbor for [[Operation Sail]], firing her guns at one-minute intervals for the first time in approximately 100&nbsp;years.<ref name="CSM08-09-76">{{Cite news |work = [[The Christian Science Monitor]] | date = 9 August 1976 | page = 28 | title = Old Ironsides: still a star}}</ref> On 11 July, she rendered a 21-gun salute to [[HMY Britannia|Her Majesty's Yacht ''Britannia'']], as [[Queen Elizabeth II]] and [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Prince Philip]] arrived for a state visit.<ref name="ChiTrib12-30-76">{{Cite news | work = Chicago Tribune | date = 30 December 1976 | page = C12 | title = Happy 200th party for U. S.}}</ref> The royal couple were [[Boatswain's call|piped]] aboard and privately toured the ship for approximately 30 minutes with Commander Martin and Secretary of the Navy [[J. William Middendorf]]. Upon their departure, the crew of ''Constitution'' rendered three cheers for the Queen. Over 900,000 visitors toured "Old Ironsides" that year.<ref>Martin (1997), p. 368.</ref>