Resting regally on the coast of Southern California in Long Beach is an extraordinary Scottish work of art and masterpiece of engineering. It is by far the largest work of skilled craftsmanship in the United States that hails from Glasgow – a brilliant floating statue in America forged from the hardened hands and creative minds of industrious Scots.

It is more than a moored ship in a harbour, it is a beautiful expression of what Scottish innovation, engineering, and construction has produced. It is a crowning jewel of achievement for Glasgow, it is the regal RMS Queen Mary.

90 years ago this month an estimated crowd of 250,000 people came out in the rain to celebrate the launch of the RMS Queen Mary. The project had employed thousands and touched countless families, including my own.

As early as 1926, designs and testing of a massive ship started in secret. Some of the finest ship architects and engineers had gathered at Clydebank. And while all the leading yards in the UK pitched for the work, it seemed destined it would stay on the Clyde. And so it did. Construction on the magnificent Cunard liner was started in 1930 at the venerable John Brown & Company.

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With genuine fanfare and excitement skilled shipbuilders started in earnest. The contract had created thousands of jobs for a community that had faced difficult times after the First World War. And while progress was immediate, the sharp bite of the Great Depression took hold. The continuation of the project was in real jeopardy. On December 11, 1931, all work was suspended with 3,500 workers being laid off. Fortunately, the government found emergency funds to keep the historic initiative afloat.

During construction the ship was known as “534.” It was a marvel, a triumph of design and construction. In all the ship was 1,019 1/2 ft, and the keel to the top of the funnel 181 feet. It was held together by 10 million rivets. Imagine the care and skilled focus of those workers to put in place and secure each of those. When we look at the ship today in Long Beach, we can imagine a human hand behind each rivet, hundreds Glaswegian riveters who worked tirelessly to use their skills to create a masterpiece, and along the way help feed, clothe, and keep a family warm. Those rivets are like millions of punctuation marks of pride.

The history of the Queen Mary is legendary. Its maiden voyage was in 1936 when it set sail from Southampton. It elegantly moved past the Isle of Wight and edged out into the English Channel and to a future that neither onlookers nor passengers would predict.

The Queen Mary celebrates its 90th anniversary The Queen Mary celebrates its 90th anniversary (Image: Ted Soqui) While there are many chapters in her story, the role of the Queen Mary during WWII stands out and endears the ship in the annals of American history. A key gesture by Britain that Winston Churchill steered was to offer the United States ownership of RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth (another extraordinary Clydebuilt ship) when the US entered the war.

America had nowhere near the ability or capacity to transport its substantial level of troops to the war theatre. Across treacherous seas and perilous waters, Queen Mary transported thousands of brave young American soldiers to war.

Hitler was said to have offered one million reichsmarks, about $250,000, and the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves to any submarine captain who could sink the Queen Mary. The world owes much to the fact that this fate was alluded. When we view those incredible photos of the Queen Mary transporting thousands of American soldiers back to New York Harbor after the war in 1945, I feel the joy of peace and freedom this Scottish marvel provided.

I return to those millions of rivets that hold this masterpiece together. The hand of a skilled Scot in each one. On this 90th anniversary, I remember these workers with pride. I wonder what rivet each of us can put in place in our moment of time to hold together the peaceful world we wish to see – that sea of hope for many souls to sail across. The one rivet of a simple and caring act of kindness will lead to many others – then firmly hold together a liner that will gracefully glide far.

Ian Houston is a regular writer for the Herald. He has spent his career as an advocate for diplomacy, trade, poverty alleviation, and intercultural dialogue. He promotes commercial, educational, artistic, and charitable linkages between Scotland, UK, and the US. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of the West of Scotland. He is located in the Washington, DC area. His views are his own.