BALTIMORE — The Coast Guard set the historic Francis Scott Key buoy in the Patapsco River near the Francis Scott Key Bridge to kick off the bicentennial celebration of the War of 1812, Friday.
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter James Rankin, a 175-foot buoy tender homeported at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, Md., set the buoy that marks the spot where the ship carrying Francis Scott Key, the author of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” was anchored during the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.
Each year the buoy is set in the spring to mark the historic location of the event, and it is removed in the fall.
“Placing the Francis Scott Key buoy symbolizes the Coast Guard’s dedication to maritime safety and servicing aids to navigation in the Port of Baltimore,” said Cmdr. John Burns, a member of Coast Guard Sector Baltimore. “For more than 200 years, the Coast Guard has a long and rich military history providing security and facilitating American prosperity through maritime commerce. I cannot think of a more fitting way to kick-off Baltimore’s celebration of the commemoration of the War of 1812, the Star-Spangled Sailabration, than with the re-establishment of the Francis Scott Key buoy.”
