St. Mary’s County held its annual Flag Day ceremony Saturday on the grounds of the governmental center in Leonardtown. This year’s event held special historical significance, with the 200th anniversary of the penning of the Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key just several months away. The event also occurred 200 years ago almost to the day of the first British invasion of Benedict in Charles County. A week later a second attack on Benedict was repulsed by a force that included Key, who was a member of a family whose ancestral home, Tudor Hall, is in Leonardtown.
The ceremony attendees were given a patriotic concert by members of the Leonardtown Elementary School Chorus under the direction of Nicole Beard.
The ceremony’s MC was St. Mary’s County Commissioner Francis “Jack” Russell. He welcomed the following color guards: American Legion Post 221, Father Andrew White Assembly #377 of Knights of Columbus, the Great Mills High Navy Junior ROTC, the Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy Color Guard, the Patuxent River Naval Air Station Color Guard and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Color Guard.
The sheriff’s office color guard then posted the colors and members of ABATE posted the POW/MIA flag.
Invocation was handled by Pastor Steve Kooy, chaplain of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office and the Star Spangled Banner was performed by Taylor Harris.
Russell read a letter from U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, which was followed by remarks by Russell and the other three commissioners in attendance, Lawrence Jarboe, Cynthia Jones and Todd Morgan. Leonardtown Councilman Jay Mattingly, Senator Roy Dyson and Delegate Tony O’Donnell also gave remarks.
The Chesapeake Orchestra Brass Quintet directed by Jeffrey Silberschlag performed after the close of the official ceremony,
