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Former foes U.S. and Britain join in celebrating 'Banner' anniversary
By Jeffrey B. Roth
BALTIMORE Md. Sat Sep 13, 2014 12:04pm BST
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By Jeffrey B. Roth BALTIMORE Md. (Reuters) - As Americans celebrate
the 200th anniversary of their national anthem this weekend, an unusual
guest will be on hand for the party: A warship from the same navy whose
bombardment of Fort McHenry inspired...
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A huge U.S. flag flies over visitors to Fort McHenry as they try to get
a glimpse of U.S. President Barack Obama during his visit to the
historic spot where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write ''The Star
Spangled Banner'' in Baltimore, Maryland September 12, 2014.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
A huge U.S. flag flies over visitors to Fort McHenry as they try to get
a glimpse of U.S. President Barack Obama during his visit to the
historic spot where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write ''The Star
Spangled Banner'' in Baltimore, Maryland September 12, 2014.
Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque
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* World »
BALTIMORE Md. (Reuters) - As Americans celebrate the 200th anniversary
of their national anthem this weekend, an unusual guest will be on hand
for the party: A warship from the same navy whose bombardment of Fort
McHenry inspired the "Star-Spangled Banner."
The British Navy frigate H.M.S. Argyll is one of 30 naval vessels from
seven nations that sailed into the port of Baltimore for the
anniversary celebration that will culminate on Saturday night.
It fired a cannon salute as it entered the harbour earlier this week,
evoking the "bombs bursting in air" that inspired Francis Scott Key to
pen the song he initially called "The Defence of Fort McHenry." He
wrote the lyrics on a British truce ship the morning of Sept. 14, 1814
during the War of 1812, the last military confrontation between the
young nation and its former colonial master.
Sir Peter Westmacott, the British ambassador to the United States, will
join Vice President Joe Biden, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and
other federal, state and local officials at ceremonies marking the
anniversary.
"This is a sensitive matter for a British diplomat in the United
States, because nobody seems to agree on who started the war or who
won," Westmacott said. "Nonetheless, the War of 1812 was a crucial
turning point in world history, because it was the final burst of
conflict between Britain and America ... So when we commemorate the
war, and the battle, we are in fact marking the beginning of a peace
that blossomed into one of the most significant military alliances the
world has ever known."
U.S. officials welcomed the British entourage.
"The War of 1812 was critically important to America. It is said to be
the 'Second Revolutionary War,' which allowed our country to remain
free and independent," said Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, in a phone
interview.
"Two hundred years ago, our countries were not friends. History
reflects how that relationship of 200 years ago evolved. We celebrate
our relationship."
Thousands of people are expected to visit Fort McHenry, a 43-acre
stone-walled enclosure that rises from a peninsula over the harbour and
still faces the heavy black cannons that were a staple of 19th-Century
warfare, through Sunday for events that will also include tours of
visiting naval vessels and tall ships from Canada, Norway, Germany,
Spain and Turkey, musical performances by the U.S. Marine Corps Band
and the largest fireworks performance in Baltimore’s history.
Aboard the Argyll, Commander Paul Hammond said it was an unusual
experience to fire his ship's guns on the site of a naval battle.
"We probably experienced a minor version of what they experienced back
in the 1800s," Hammond said. "At the time the Royal Navy had boats
built specifically for firing and bombardment of the shore. Life
onboard those ships was very harsh and very hazardous."
(Editing by Scott Malone and Tom Brown)
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