Patriots Day Reenactment Brings Revolutionary War To Life
LEXINGTON (CBS) -- Hundreds gathered at the Lexington Battle Green to celebrate the origin of Patriots Day early Monday morning.
The holiday commemorated the "shot heard around the world" and the beginning of the American Revolutionary War through a reenactment of the Battle of Lexington.
#Minutemen at the ready l. #RedCoats draw close to #Lexington. Feels like a battle could be brewing. #LexingtonGreen #PatriotsDay #wbz pic.twitter.com/TLuAtadK0D
— Ben Parker (@radiobenparker) April 17, 2017
For spectators of all ages, the reenactment brought history to life.
"Captian Parker assembled his men in military formation with muskets and that's why the Regulars just could not pass them by," explained Barry, a Lexington Minuteman.
On April 19, 1775, eight Minutemen died on the Lexington Green. Others would lie injured as the British Red Coats continued on to Concord.
John is another member of the Lexington Minutemen. He has been a part of the reenactment for twenty-two years.
"When I first came out here I had a six-week-old baby. The person I was portraying also had a six-week-old baby," John recalled. "And you think to yourself 'What was he thinking when he was out here?' It's really awe-inspiring."
#Minutemen and #British Regulars together on #LexingtonGreen. Reenact first shots of American Revolution 242 yrs ago. #PatriotsDay #wbz pic.twitter.com/mP75NnQmeG
— Ben Parker (@radiobenparker) April 17, 2017
John is sure these pioneering Minutemen knew what they were up against as they went face-to-face with the British.
"These people were impassioned. This wasn't an event that happened because of this moment, this had been brewing for over two years," John explained. "They were ready for a battle when these people came out here."
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker reports
