Columbus museum preserves the stars and stripes

>> IT IS A HOLIDAY WEEK, FOURTH

OF JULY AND AMERICAN

INDEPENDENCE AND IF YOU GO TO

THE BALLGAME THE STAR-SPANGLED

BANNER.

>> TONIGHT WE FIND OUR TAR HEEL

TRAVEL AND SCOTT MASON VISITS

THE HOUSE OF FLATS MUSEUM IN

COLUMBUS AND TELLS THE STORY OF

OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM BY WAY OF

THE STARS & STRIPES.>>REPORTER:

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY LOOKED OUT AT

FORT McHENRY AND THERE WAS OUR

FLAG.

>> THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER,

WHAT A COMPELLING MOMENT.

SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 1814, THE

BRITISH INVADE MARYLAND, ATTACK

BALTIMORE AND BOMBARD FORT

McKINLEY.

>> HE WITNESSED THE WHOLE

THING.

>> FRANCIS SCOTT KEY WAS ON A

BRITISH SHIP HELD AGAINST HIS

WILL.

AND THAT IS WHEN HE WITNESSED

THINGS THAT

>> HE STARTED MAKING NOTES ON

AN ENVELOPE IN HIS POCKET.>>

AFTER 25 HOURS OF INCESSANT

BOMBING OF FORT McHENRY THE

BRITISH SHIPS THUNDER AND

LIGHTNING FOR ALMOST 2 FULL

DAYS AND IT DAWNS EARLY LIGHT

ON SEPTEMBER 14, 1814 ALL WAS

CALM.>> FRANCIS SCOTT KEY GAZED

ACROSS THE HORIZON.>> PUT

YOURSELF IN THAT SITUATION,

AFTER TWO DAYS AFTER SOME OF

THE WORST BOMBING AND THE

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING THAT YOU

HAVE SEEN IN YOUR LIFE ALL OF A

SUDDEN THERE IS CALM AND THE

EARTH AND YOU SEE THE FLAG IS

STILL THERE AND THAT WOULD

COMPEL ANYBODY TO WRITE

SOMETHING.

THAT MAKES THIS FLAG SPECIAL IN

OUR HISTORY.>> THE HOUSE OF

FLAGS MUSEUM, COLUMBUS

CAROLINA, COUNTY.

>> WE ARE THE ONLY HOUSE OF

FLAGS MUSEUM IN AMERICA.

>> IT TELLS AMERICA'S STORY.>>

THE BIRTH OF A NATION>> THE

BIRTH OF AN ANTHEM.>> AND THE

HOME OF THE BRAVE.

>> IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY

FAVORITE STORIES FROM HISTORY

AND FRANCIS SCOTT KEY NEVER

INTENDED TO PUBLISH THE WORDS

HE WROTE THAT DAY BUT HIS

BROTHER-IN-LAW DID SO AGAINST