Thought I would share this bit that I received from my DD today.  She lives
in Virginia suburb of DC and drives by the Pentagon, (which was also hit by
a terroist hi-jacked plane on 11 Sept 2001) every day.
Louise
~~~~~
Dear folks,

As you know, I make my living with words. But as I look back over the
last two years from my perch here in D.C. (a.k.a. "The Bullseye"), no
words of mine seem adequate for today. So I'll just point to the last
two verses of the "Star Spangled Banner."

Love, Jeff

And where is that band who so hauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country, shall leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul foot steps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
>From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh thus be it e'er when free men shall stand
Between their lov'd homes and war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that has made and presrv'd us a nation.
And conquer we must when our cause it is just
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

P.S. I was able to remember these verses on 9/11 because my fourth grade
teacher believed children should memorize big chunks of poetry. Thank
you, Miss Taylor!
~~~~~

Note for those who were not raised in the USA: These are the last 2 verses
of the poem written by Francis Scott Key in 1814, only 33 years after the US
had won their independence from Britain.  He had  gone to intercede for a
friend being held prisoner  on a British ship that was in the harbor, when
the  shelling of the fort near the city of Baltimore, Maryland began.  He
was detained all night on the ship until it was safe to return to shore.  In
the dawn's early light, he strained to see if the American flag was still
flying over fort.  The British then burned Baltimore and then marched on to
Washington, DC and burned the Capitol building and the White House
(residence of the president - then James Madison).

The stirring poem was published and later set to the music of an English
drinking song. It officially became the National Anthem in 1931.
The music fits the words of the poem, but is almost impossible to
sing, --unless one is drunk :)
End of History lesson.

Louise in Central Virginia
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