SEASON: Tribute to our patriots

Patriot: One who loves and defends his country.

This little history lesson is for the Homeowners Association. Did you know that Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner for a British Warship firing on the Fort. He was there as a reporter because of the way the British were treating their prisoners of war.

All through the night they fired over and over. However, at the dawn's early light that Banner was flying because every time it was hit and ready to fall a patriot ran up and held it until he died, the flag was there held up by a patriot who laid down everything — their lives, their fortunes — to hold it up.

Through these past 200 years patriot men have continued to lay down their lives to hold our banner high. Our red, white and blue, our American flag.

JANE BEAVER

Coeur d’Alene