Having a blast at the Castillo: Flagler students Volunteer as Cannon Crew.

By Kendall Greco

Every weekend, the blast of the cannon echoes through the historic Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine. A group of passionate Flagler College student’s dress in their authentic Spanish soldier uniforms and perform drills that date back centuries.

They are a part of a team that is dedicated to bringing history to life with their cannon demonstrations and historical accuracy. Here, students do not just study history: They become it, leaving their mark in one of the oldest forts in the United States.

“St. Augustine is the oldest inhabited area, and I want to keep that history alive,” said Flagler College student Alex Reed. “Being able to be a part of a crew that gets to tell St Augustine’s history is something I have always found really cool and have wanted to do.”

Stepping into the 17th century, these students breathe life into St. Augustine’s past. They suit up in their soldier uniforms, take part in cannon drills and educate the public about the Spanish period events that have happened right there in St Augustine.

The Flagler student volunteers not only find the outfits fun to wear, but necessary to the overall learning experience.

“I love wearing this uniform because I am a nerd,” said Flagler College student Lucas Finsel. “But in all seriousness, we get more interaction with guests when wearing the uniform. For someone to come up and touch the same material that someone would wear gives them a sense of realism. It gets people to come up and talk to you, and they get to feel the history. The outfits add a level of learning you would not get by just talking about the history”

The cannon drills are led by volunteer John Cipriani who has dedicated 28 years to the Castillo. “What I love about the cannon demonstration is the boom! I love getting to educate the people especially the children because they have misconceptions. I have children call me a pirate when I wear my soldier uniform. I explain to them that the pirates are bad and steal from you, and the soldiers are good and will give you something. I then give them a gold coin and they will remember that,” Cipriani said.

By allowing visitors to see reenactments of the cannon drills every weekend, Cipriani sees his dedication as a way to preserve St. Augustine’s history and Spanish culture. “I had some people from Spain talk to me. They were impressed that we were keeping the Spanish culture alive in St. Augustine,” Cipriani said.

St. Augustine was founded in 1565 by Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés with the goal of setting up a Spanish military base in Florida. St Augustine remains the oldest occupied European settlement in the United States.

Constructed between 1672 and 1695, the Castillo still stands today. When the fort was completed, it never fell once thanks to walls able to withstand anything that came its way.

The Castillo is made entirely out of pressed together coquina shells that could sustain canon fire. That is why visitors can enjoy being immersed in its history over 350 years later.

“I really like talking to people and I really like to teach people about the history here. That is my main goal,” said Flagler College student Lucas Finsel. “When I tell a guest something they did not know before and they get a shocked look on their face, it is very rewarding for me.”

The Sally Port is one of the many features guests can see. The Sally port is the fort’s only entrance and exit, and is led to by a draw bridge. Here, you can see the 14-foot-thick walls and get an understanding of how strong the walls really are.

Once Inside, guests are able to see the guards’ rooms where there are wooden planks and mats that the soldiers had to sleep on while on guard duty.

The storage rooms are another part of the experience at the Castillo where guests can see how soldiers kept food and tools safe during a time of siege, as well as the overall everyday life of a soldier’s work.

When St. Augustine was founded, it was a melting pot of a lot of diverse cultures. At the Castillo visitors can learn about the cultural intersections of Europeans, Native Americans and Africans through the various exhibits.

A popular feature among guests the Castillo offers is the canon drill re-enactment. The volunteers assemble into formation and march up the historic steps with their canon-firing tools in hand.

“You can’t just fire cannons or dress up as a colonial soldier at many other places,” said Flagler College student Grace Leffler. “There is something fun about cannons, and sort of getting to show off a bit. It’s a great feeling.”

There are four main positions when working with the cannons. Front Left, Front Right, Rear Left, and Rear Right, each one having their own role in the re-enactment.

Volunteers at the Castillo not only believe that this re-enactment is fun, but they also find it to be an important and unique feature the Castillo offers. “Not many national parks have the privilege of being able to do live cannon drills for guests, especially so many times a year. We fire almost 800 shots a year, compared to other parks that only get to do around 300 shots a year,” Alex Reed said.

The Flagler volunteers play a pivotal role in keeping St. Augustine’s history alive, becoming part of the Castillo’s living history through cannon drill re-enactments and taking on the roles of soldiers.