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Our
National Anthem Celebrates
Its' 75th Anniversary
Jim Cassidy
 The recent flag amendment, heard
before the U.S. Congress, which would make the burning or
desecration of the American flag illegal, failed passage
this year by one vote in the Senate, despite the
overwhelming support in the U.S. House, the states of the
union, and the American public ... it is not freedom of
speech to burn our most precious symbol of America!
This failed amendment disappointed millions of American
veterans’, the military and their families, but the
bill will come up again before Congress in next year’s
session, and all veterans organizations everywhere will
be out in force to ensure passing.
Like the flag amendment bill, our own national anthem
faced the same long struggle before Congress until it’s
ultimate passage into law.
In 1928, the U.S. was the only modern nation in the world
without a sanctioned national ballad. The Star-Spangled
Banner had been played and sung with varying degrees of
success for some 100 years. The uplifting words came from
Francis Scott Key, a 35-year-old lawyer who had watched
from Chesapeake Bay, Md., the night the British bombarded
Fort McHenry in 1814. The next morning, the sight of the
tattered flag still flying over the shelled fort inspired
Key to put his feelings to words. They were published as
a poem in the September 20, 1814 issue of the Baltimore
Patriot.
Set to the music of an old English drinking song, “To
Anacreon in Heaven,” it became an instant favorite.
President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed it the national
anthem in 1916, but Congress had yet to legislate it as
the nation’s patriotic musical signature.
Many veterans’ organizations petitioned Congress
over the ensuing years before it was finally enacted. It
went before the Judiciary Committee the next day, where
over 20 million citizens endorsed the petition.
Musical purists said with justification that the music
was too high a register to be sung by all except operatic
sopranos. The score was rewritten in the key of A flat,
to bring it within reach of more American vocal cords
The climax came when VFW Auxiliary member Elsie Jorss
Reilly stood and sang Key’s words to the
accompaniment of the Navy band. The bill came out of
committee by a vote of 16 to 2, but stalled on the House
floor because of the objection from a Mississippi
representative. It finally passed on April 21, 1930, and
was sent to the Senate Library Committee where it again
lay fallow until March 31, 1931. On that date, it passed
unanimously, a day before the 71st Congress adjourned.
President Herbert Hoover signed the bill the following
morning. The Star-Spangled Banner was now the nation’s
national anthem by law, as well as in fact.
In recent years, it has been under assault. A campaign to
replace it with something other than a “war song,”
was waged. Public opinion, however, appears to be on the
side of tradition.
May we stand, salute our flag, play and sing our national
anthem as it was written ... forever!
Jim is Vice-Commander of American Legion Post #219. He
served as a combat infantryman in WWII, fighting in
France and Germany with the 70th Infantry Division. Jim
Cassidy was awarded the Bronze Star for his service. You
can email him with questions or comments at: Cassperryst@aol.com
*Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The September, 2006
Edition of the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly
Publication.
All Contents (C) 2006, Valley Patriot, Inc.
We publish 9,000 newspapers and distribute in Andover,
North Andover,
Methuen, Haverhill, Chelmsford, Georgetown, Groveland,
Boxford,
Lawrence, Dracut, Tewksbury, Hampton & Salisbury
Beach, and Lowell.
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