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| Subject: STAR SPANGLED BANNER CELEBRATION |
Author: Don
Date: 6/13/2012 6:48 pm CDT
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For anyone interested there is from now to Sunday June 16, 2012 a 200th anniversary celebration of the War of 1812 in the harbor and surrounding area of Baltimore, MD. The Star Spangled Banner was written as a poem by Francis Scott Key of Baltimore as he watched a the British fleet bombard Fort Mc Kenry which is I guess about 5 miles from present day downtown Baltimore. He was aboard one of the British ships. The poem was later set to music and much later became our notional anthem. I think this is sponsored by the state of Maryland.
Included in the event are whaat they call "tall ships", which are ships with tall masts and sails as in the old days of wind power. The ships began arriving yesterday I believe, and are still arriving. I have heard on TV of ships from Brazil, Nicaragua, Guatamala, and Mexico, and saw what I am sure is a rather large modern day warship. On the tall ships the crew sometime are on the ?yardarms? or somewhere high on the mast.
Also scheduled are performances by the Blue Angels on Saturday and Sunday.
If anyone is interested one website on it is http://www.starspangled200.com/
Don
LST 803
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STAR SPANGLED BANNER CELEBRATION |
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Don |
6/13/2012 6:48 pm CDT |
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Buddy LST 1126 |
6/14/2012 8:16 pm CDT |
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On May 21, 2005 a monument was unveiled in Seneca, Illinois, dedicated to all the workers, who built 157 LSTs at the Seneca “Prairie Shipyard” as well as all those who served on any LST during World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam. The monument contains seals of the US Navy, the US Coast Guard, the British LST Association, and the sponsoring organization, the Illinois LST Association.
The monument contains a sculpture of an LST on top of the gray marble center section. On the two flanking black marble sections are etchings of an LST being launched, an LST beached and unloading its cargo of tanks, and a woman shipyard welder. On the sides of the black sections all 157 LSTs constructed at Seneca are listed The monument stands in Crotty Park in Seneca, on property adjacent to the old Chicago Bridge and Iron shipyard.
Approximately 500 people from all over the country and Great Britain attended the dedication. After the dedication, approximately 200 of those in attendance gathered together for a catered lunch.
About 27,000 people worked at the shipyard during World War II. A number of those and/or their descendants attended the ceremony. They are rightly proud of their contribution to the war effort, as is the city of Seneca, Illinois, the home of the “Prairie Shipyard”.
During World War
2 there were 1051 LST's (Landing Ship Tank) built to carry
troops and supplies to American and Allied troops fighting
in Europe and the Pacific theaters. When WW2 ended most of
the LST's were scrapped, modified, or given to Navies of
other countries. Some remained in service and saw action in
Korea, Viet Nam, and even the Cuban Blockade.
A few WW2 type
LST's remain in service today, but not in the USA.
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