‘There was no going back’

Local Legion post’s traditional commemoration of Battle of Bunker Hill upsizes in a big way for 250th anniversary.

In Charlestown, Mass., the “Bunker Hill post” of The American Legion carries that sense of place very close to its heart.

How close? When asked if J.W. Conway Post 26’s initial charter date of June 17, 1919, was deliberate, former post commander Arthur Hurley replied, “Oh, yeah.”

The Boston neighborhood of Charlestown is intimately bound up with the Battle of Bunker Hill, which took place on June 17, 1775. Considered the first major battle of the American Revolution, colonial militiamen and a wide variety of their fellow local residents fought fiercely against British forces, and around 450 of them died. Although Charlestown was taken and largely destroyed, the level of resistance – more than 1,000 British soldiers died – showed that American colonists were not just going to roll over for the Crown. Hurley put it succinctly: “After the Battle of Bunker Hill, there was no going back.”

Hurley, an Army veteran and 55-year Legionnaire, made these comments on June 17 at St. Francis de Sales Church in Charlestown, where several days of other events had led up to the main celebration of the 250th anniversary of the battle; he is also chairman of the annual parade. Post 26 started the current age of commemoration 70 years ago, but this year was bigger in just about every way.

Descendants of those who fought at Bunker Hill, historical reenactors, a color guard from the nearby USS Constitution, representatives from the United Kingdom, the general public and more gathered first at the church for an ecumenical service sponsored by the post. Current Post 26 Commander Dan Noonan read from the Book of Wisdom, including the famous line “as gold in the furnace He tried them,” and the national anthem was played on the fife.

Hurley, a history buff, was born in Charlestown and said the parade always passed his house when he was young; his job was to bring out the chairs. To him, the Battle of Bunker Hill means “the beginning of the Revolution and the road … to the greatest country.” After the service, all the participants marched up Bunker Hill Street, past historic homes and restaurants and dry cleaners. The drums and fifes brought people – and their camera phones – out of buildings and onto street corners. Along the way, they stopped at a Revolution-era cemetery to lay wreaths and fire ceremonial volleys.

Their final destination was the Bunker Hill Monument – maintained by the National Park Service – a giant obelisk dedicated in 1843 on the site of the battle, which took place on Charlestown’s highest ground. Noonan reiterated after the remembrance ceremony that “we’ve been doing this for years, by ourselves for a lot of years.” But that was manifestly not the case this year. Even as cloudy skies deteriorated to a light rain, crowds of people stuck around for the speeches and historical demonstrations. Hurley was personally praised by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and Noonan by State Rep. Joseph Ryan (who called out the post’s longtime participation) and Gov. Maura Healey, who invoked the ramping-up America 250 initiative – “but it started here a little early!” The commander, who was instrumental in getting him, introduced keynote speaker Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Ralph Rizzo, commanding general of Camp LeJeune and a Charlestown native. Best-selling author Nathaniel Philbrick told the story of future president John Quincy Adams: he witnessed the battle at age 7, was devastated at the death of a beloved family doctor and never attended commemorations – even the dedication of the obelisk.

The commemorations of the Battle of Bunker Hill are a fundamental way Post 26 stays connected to its neighborhood. Hurley’s advice to posts not located in such historical-with-a-capital-H areas: “There’s always the Fourth of July, Memorial Day … start a parade! Get out there!” As for them, Noonan was typical New England-clipped: “We keep coming out.”