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NOTES ADDED 4/22/08: The day turned out to be perfect - exactly as I described below. Some photos taken are added below:

The Patriot’s Day celebration in Massachusetts

The opening fire (the so-called the shot heard around the world) of the American Revolution took place the early morning of April 19^th 1775 on the village green of the town of Lexington, Massachusetts which happens to be the town I have lived in for over forty years.  Every year on the third Monday in April (close to 4/19)  on the same village green there is a live re-enactment of that famous battle in which the revolting colonial farmers, called the Minuteman, were roundly defeated by the British troops. During the bicentennial celebration in 1975, then President Ford even came to our town that morning to be in the ceremony.  A short parade by the town people then follows.

In nearby Boston on the same day, the famous Boston Marathon takes place. This is the oldest modern day Marathon races. 2008 will be the 112^th running of the event. Many world class athletes take part in this race. For a historical account of this illustrious race see

http://www.bostonmarathon.org/BostonMarathon/History.asp

 

This day known as Patriot’s day is a legal holiday in Massachusetts and Maine but not in the rest of the country. It is also a spring day after the long winter season in New England. If the weather is good, everyone comes out and enjoy the sunshine and first bloom of the season. It is history, renewal, thanksgiving, and glad-to-be-alive day. For some “sight and sound” of this day in Lexington in the past see

http://www.webshots.com/search?query=Patriot's+Day+in+Lexington+-+1991

Here are some pictures taken today.

This is a picture of the MinuteMan stature on the village green commemorating the battle which took place right there.

Parts of the Village Green full of spectators today

This is the view towards the town center where the parade will start

One of the many food Stand for the crowd

What goes in must come out.  Temporary rest room set up for the conveneince of the public.

Winner of Boston Marathon crossing the finish line (4/21/08)

Below is a newspaper account of the yearly re-enactment of the first battle of American revolution on Lexington Green (4/21/08)。

As I said, on days like this you are glad to be alive. Enjoy.

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