I was checking out the reconstructed fort. The first floor of the fort building was filled with story boards telling of the lives and contributions of officers, local militiamen, and even young lawyer poets. I was turning to walk out when I heard voices from upstairs. It was not-so-perfect harmony and there were a few stumbles on words; but, it was the unmistakable familiar melody of the national anthem matched with the much less familiar lyrics of one of the latter verses. I don’t know who was singing or why. I only heard a few lines. I was spellbound. The voices went silent. Life returned to the stuff of everyday living. I am so glad for that moment.

Thirteen stars and thirteen stripes
The huge 30X42 ft flag furled and unfurled perfectly. It was glorious. What we saw was a replica of the banner that flew over Fort McHenry in the early dawn after the British bombardment. It is easy to see how it could have inspired young Francis Scott Key.