Coast Guard cutter places Francis Scott Key buoy

BALTIMORE - Petty Officer 2nd Class Tonya Mills, a crewmember aboard the Coast Guard Cutter James Rankin, a 175-foot buoy tender homeported in Baltimore, releases the Francis Scott Key buoy down to its location in the Patapsco River, May 24, 2010. The buoy was first placed in the river in 1914, marking the location where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the Star-Spangled Banner. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert Brazzell.

BALTIMORE - Vince Vaise, the chief of interpretation at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, speaks to a group of visitors aboard the Coast Guard Cutter James Rankin, a 175-foot buoy tender homeported in Baltimore, during the annual placing of the Francis Scott Key buoy. Park rangers and volunteers from Fort McHenry were also aboard the Rankin to tell the story of the Battle of Baltimore in 1812. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert Brazzell.

BALTIMORE - The Coast Guard Cutter James Rankin, a 175-foot buoy tender homeported in Baltimore, lifts the Francis Scott Key buoy off the deck in order to lower it to its location in the Patapsco River, May 24, 2010. The buoy was first placed in the river in 1914, marking the location where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the Star-Spangled Banner. It has been placed in this location annually since the 1970s. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert Brazzell.

BALTIMORE - The Coast Guard Cutter James Rankin, a 175-foot buoy tender homeported in Baltimore, set the historic Francis Scott Key buoy in the Patapsco River near the Francis Scott Key Bridge Monday.

The buoy 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 marking the historic location of the event and later removed in the fall.

The Baltimore Historical Society along with park rangers from Fort McHenry joined the crew of the Rankin, wearing uniforms of that period and providing a narrative of events that occurred that historic day.

The Rankin had 88 visitors attend the event, which included dropping the buoy and a journey to Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine where the American flag was raised.

"It's an opportunity to take time and recognize the event that inspired our national anthem," said Lt. Robert Lewald, the commanding officer of the Rankin. “It’s a good thing to do, and it helps us remember who we are.”

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