Star Spangled Banner

I must be in a patriotic mood today. I was playing the Star Spangled Banner for about the upteens time when my grandaughter came to me and asked about it.

As i tried to tell her the story of France Scott Key being held on the English ship while they bombarded the American harbor. How the guns were fireing all night long and because it was dark you could not see the our flag. Was it still flying? Were we still there? But every now and then a bomb would burst in the air or a rocket's light would show that "our flag was still there."

Try as I did I could not stop tears from running down my face. Don't know what she thought about that, she didn't say anything. But it made me think back to my younger days. Of being on an Amercian ship in a strange port.

Every morning while in a host country's port we would "go to quarters" and stand at attention while our band play the anthem of the host country and then our national anthem. I always had shivers go down my back. I still do. Once we were in port as part of NATO, There were many ships from other countries and as was the custom we played the anthem of the host country and then the anthem of all the ships in port that were part of NATO. Last was "the Star Spangeled Banner". We must of been at quarters for over half an hour. I think we must of the been the ship from the farthest place. But we were the best looking ship!!! Had to be, we were representing The United States of America.

So, as I told Lianna the story of that star spangled banner, ripped, torn but not down, she told me, "maybe they used honey to make it stick together". I hope she understood what I was trying to tell her.