With rain falling in sheets, nearly 100 people gathered beneath the pavilion beside Bloch Park for a Veterans Day celebration sponsored by the American Legion.

Charlie Friday of American Legion Post 20 in Selma welcomed everyone to the celebration and told the story of how the “Star Spangled Banner” was written by Francis Scott Key in 1814.

In the early 1800’s, the United States was in a “vicious war with Britain” in 1814. After attacking Washington, D.C., the army moved to take Baltimore by attacking Fort McHenry.

Key was enlisted to secure the release of Dr. William Dean, who was being held on one of the British army’s warships. Though Key secured Dean’s release, he was told that no one would be freed until the army had obliterated the fort.

From the warship, Key watched as the British attacked the fort for 24 straight hours. During all that time, the American flag continued to fly over the fort, showing that those inside had not surrendered, and the British eventually abandoned the effort.

The event was a turning point in the war and, a few months later, a peace treaty was signed between the warring sides and Key wrote what became the United States’ National Anthem, drawing on inspiration from his time aboard the British warship.

After telling this story, students from the Southside High School (SHS) ROTC program presented the flag and those in attendance sang the National Anthem and recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Steve Ruiz, ROTC instructor at SHS, acted as Master of Ceremonies and welcomed a number of local leaders to the event, including Orrville Mayor Louvenia Lumpkin, Probate Judge-elect Jimmy Nunn, Selma City Councilman Johnnie Leashore, Councilwoman Jannie Thomas and Dallas County Commissioners Roy Moore and Valerie Reuben.

Ruiz led the crowd in singing the songs for each branch of the armed services before handing the microphone over to Rick Wilson, a veteran of the Coast Guard who performed a song he wrote.

The keynote speaker for the event was Lt. Col. Wayne Stacey, who served in the Army for over 20 years.

“America’s very fortunate to have millions of brave men and women stand up for our freedom,” Stacey said. “Every day our veterans honor us all. They honor us through their service, they honor us through their sacrifice.”

Stacey noted the importance of this year’s Veterans Day, which marks the 100^th year of its celebration and the founding of the American Legion.

“Our commitment covers all veterans,” Stacey said of the legion, which was founded to assist and support all suffering veterans.

More than anything, Stacey focused on the bond shared between veterans who have fought in battles overseas and therefore seen things that average Americans will never see.

“Where is ‘over there?’” Stacey asked. “To each of us, it’s a little bit different. ‘There’ is where they knew people for just a little bit of time but remembered them all of their life. ‘There’ is where those unifying memories were formed.”

Stacey noted that, though a veteran’s memory may become “tempered over time,” they never forget the voices, people and places they came in contact with “over there.”

“Wealth and status mean little compared to the choices our veterans have made,” Stacey said. “We’ve done more than most ever do or will ever do.”