ANNAPOLIS, MD – A massive one-hundred foot by 60-foot commemorative “Don’t Give Up the Ship” flag has been donated to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis. The flag was donated by an Erie, Pennsylvania group to commemorate the 250th anniversary of our nation.
“To be down here its a historical place, it’s unbelievable,” said Joe Benacci, director of Erie County Veterans Services. “To bring a little piece of Erie down here and to hopefully be a permanent fixture here it really means a lot. I’m glad to be here and I’m honored to be here.”
The Erie group got a chance to tour the campus. They learned about the Academy’s history and the famous phrase’s connection to Erie. The phrase “Don’t Give Up the Ship” is a rallying cry from Captain James Lawrence in an 1813 naval battle against the British. The phrase was later made into a flag used by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry during the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie.
“It’s served to inspire midshipmen and naval officers for more than 200 years,” said Sam Cox, director of naval history and heritage command for the US Navy. “It’s an inspiration for when you’re feeling like things are getting too hard.”
For this group, this donation and trip carries a heavy significance for Erie and for our servicemembers.
“It’s been so interesting and fascinating seeing all the Perry memorabilia, historical artifacts and the big ‘Dont Give Up the Ship’ flag on several occasions,” said Joe Pfadt, executive director for the Oliver Hazard Perry Museum. “The flag that we brought to them means so much to us from our community. It’s like a handshake from one generation to the next.”
“Being able to better understand Oliver Hazard Perry, what he had done for our nation and how that connects to our heritage in Erie I think is a very important thing,” said Matt Greene, park operations manager at Presque Isle State Complex.
The Naval Academy has future plans to show it off.
“We’re going to conduct a few rehearsals with it and we are expecting to unfurl it,” said Commander Kara Handley, public affairs officer for the USNA. “We can put this sign on full display at one of our football games for all our spectators so we can show them our biggest mottos here which is ‘Don’t Give Up the Ship.'”
