13 September 1814 (Read 472 times)

:us_flag :salute :patriotic-flagwaver :salute :us_flag

On this day in 1814, a young attorney stood on the deck of a British ship at the entrance to Baltimore's harbor. He had gone to the ship to secure the release of a friend from British custody. The captain of the ship made him stay on board as the British Naval Forces were about to begin a bombardment of Fort McHenry. As Frances Scott Key watched through the night of bombardment from mortars, Congreve rockets, aerial bombs and cannon balls, he could still see the giant Stars and Strips flying over the fort. In the morning, at the "dawn's early light", he began to write some words on an envelope. Within a week those words had been printed and put in to people's hands. Within a few days people were singing those words to the music of a popular drinking song. In 1931, the Congress officially made Key's words our National Anthem.
I hope when it is sung, that we all will remember what it's meaning is and the lives who have been given to allow us to continue to sing it.
May God bring a resurgence of blessings on our land.

:god_bless_usa