ANNAPOLIS

March 11, 1964

Mr. President; Mr. Speaker; members of the General Assembly of
Maryland; President Bussard and members of the Francis Scott Key
Memorial Foundation; Mayor Magaha, of Frederick; Mr. Wrenn, Presi-
dent of the Frederick Board of County Commissioners; Mr. Weil, of
the Economic Development Commission, distinguished visitors, ladies
and gentlemen:

I am deeply moved by the high honor I have received here this
morning. It was most gracious of your foundation to arrange this
meeting and to select me as the recipient of this gold coin symbolizing
our nation's observance of the one-hundred and fiftieth anniversary
of the Star-Spangled-Banner—our national flag and our national
anthem. I shall guard it and cherish it, always with the memory of
your kindness and your thoughtfulness on this day.

Let me offer my profound appreciation and highest commenda-
tion to the Francis Scott Key Memorial Foundation and to the many
other individuals and organizations which are laboring so tirelessly and
unselfishly to make a success out of Maryland's observance of these
great events of our history. Plans are underway that the writing of the
Star-Spangled Banner, and the many significant events which surrounded
it, shall be properly memorialized—at Fort McHenry, where the battle
took place; at the World's Fair, where Maryland will have a splendid
exhibit; at Frederick, where the great Key lies buried, and at other
appropriate places throughout our State. I encourage all Marylanders,
those who are here this morning and those who are not here, to support
actively and forcefully these programs of commemoration. We can, with
honor, do no less, knowing that it was our State that gave our country
its flag, its song, and yes, for that matter, its capital.

The naming of our flag and the creation of our song emerged from
what was perhaps the greatest single emergency our nation has ever
faced. To realize the seriousness of this emergency, we only have to
contemplate the situation that existed 150 years ago. The British had
burned and sacked our capital city. Our President and important federal
officials had fled into hiding. Our Capitol Building was a heap of rubble
and ashes. Our Republic was only 30 years old at the time, and it looked
as if the end was near. The British felt they had only one move to make—

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