Nothing wakes you up like a cannon blast

Administrative Officer Lindsey Phillips invites Historic City News readers to apply to become a volunteer gunner at either the Castillo de San Marcos or Fort Matanzas National Monuments.

If you are interested in volunteering, the National Park Service requires you to attend the “School of 18th Century Artillery” being held at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument on Saturday, April 16th and Sunday April 17, 2011.

This course provides the training necessary for certification in firing cannons for the public at the Castillo and Fort Matanzas National Monuments.

These cannon demonstrations are presented every weekend with the help of a large and vital volunteer force.

The Castillo’s Historic Weapons program, in existence since 1957, is the oldest and largest in the National Park Service.

Last year this program presented almost 1400 historical demonstrations to over 250,000 visitors.

The cannon firings at the Castillo are unique in the National Park Service because the drill that is used is the 1730s Spanish Cannon drill, which is conducted entirely in Castilian Spanish.

The course lasts two days, with the first day being a classroom day and the second day being hands-on experience of firing the cannon on the Castillo’s gun deck. There is a $20.00 fee to help defray material expenses for the course.

For more information and registration for the course, please contact Joe Brehm or Jeffery Edel at (904) 829-6506, ext. 233,

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News staff photographer