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It was 230 years ago this month when 700 British redcoats marched from Boston to Concord to seize rebel colonial war supplies and hopefully capture John Hancock and Samuel Adams during the incursion. They weren’t overly concerned about the rag-tag colonial farmer opposition who had dubbed themselves Minutemen. The name ’Minutemen‘ was derived from a vow that colonial farmers could and would be ready to fight for liberty within a minute’s notice. What kind of threat could these Minutemen, tillers of soil, be to one of Europe’s finest armies? The Minutemen’s strength was just 70 men against some 700 regimented...

Beyond the DropZone By W. Thomas Smith Jr. April is a month chocked-full of American military anniversaries: The Continental Navy captured its first enemy warship in April 1776. Marines captured Tripoli, 1805. The Civil War began, 1861. Lee surrendered to Grant, 1865. The Spanish-American war began, 1898. The U.S. declared war on Germany, 1917. Doolittle raided Japan, 1942. American troops landed on Okinawa, 1945. The Bay of Pigs invasion was launched, 1961. The last American Marine left Saigon, 1975. The Air Force raided Libya, 1986. And Baghdad fell to U.S. forces, 2003. All are but a few of this month's...

The birth-cry of America's armed forces by W. Thomas Smith Jr. April is a month chocked-full of American military anniversaries: The Continental Navy captured its first enemy warship in April 1776. Marines captured Tripoli, 1805. The Civil War began, 1861. Lee surrendered to Grant, 1865. The Spanish-American war began, 1898. The U.S. declared war on Germany, 1917. Doolittle raided Japan, 1942. American troops landed on Okinawa, 1945. The Bay of Pigs invasion was launched, 1961. The last American Marine left Saigon, 1975. The Air Force raided Libya, 1986. And Baghdad fell to U.S. forces, 2003. All are but a few...

Student Sues to Pose With Gun in YearbookCONCORD, N.H. — Where other students might pose for their senior yearbook photo with tennis rackets or favorite cars, Blake Douglass (search) wants to be seen with his shotgun.The 17-year-old senior filed a federal lawsuit to force Londonderry High School (search) to allow the photo and give up the policy school officials used to reject it."What they’re doing is basically discriminating based on content or message," said Penny Dean (search), Douglass’ lawyer and a specialist in gun cases. "You can’t do that. You might want to but you can’t — and especially you can’t with...

The Brown Bess The fully functional Short Land Service Musket (New Pattern) used by the 64th Regiment of Foot replicates the firearm issued by the British Army as a result of the 1768 Clothing Warrant. This musket came to be affectionately called the "Brown Bess". While the exact origin of this nickname has become obscured over the years, one explanation states that the name came from the colour of the walnut stock. Prior to the "Brown Bess", stocks were painted black. The predecessor of the Short Land Service Musket was the Long Land Service Musket, developed during the late 1720s....

Concord Hymn Ralph Waldo Emerson By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April's breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired the shot heard round the world. The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps; And Time the ruined bridge has swept Down the dark stream which seaward creeps. On this green bank, by this soft stream, We set to-day a votive stone; That memory may their deed redeem, When, like our sires, our sons are gone. Spirit, that made those heroes dare To die, or leave their children free,...

A Caltech graduate physics student pleaded innocent today to firebombing and vandalizing more than 100 sports utility vehicles in a suspected protest attack by a radical environmentalist movement against the gas-guzzling vehicles. William Cottrell, 23, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., pleaded not guilty to the charges laid out in a nine-count indictment. Cottrell could face more than 30 years in prison if he is convicted. According to the indictment, Cottrell and "other known and unknown co-conspirators" went on a spree of firebombing and vandalizing sports utility vehicles in the Los Angeles area in...

In July, Bob J and Diotima visited Lexington and Concord while on a visit to the RadioFR studio in Taxachusetts. We thought others might enjoy some of the pics we took while there! Statue honoring the Minutemen on Lexington Green Miniature of Battle Scene Notice the drummer boy in lower left corner This is the 16 year old who played his drum to call the minutemen to battle. View of the Lexington Green looking SW Plaque honoring the event placed in 1799 Sign on Buchman Tavern Buchman tavern where the minutemen gathered prior to the clash with the RedcoatsUnfortunately, we...

In a related matter, the supervisors delayed discussion of a "punch list" of Concord Chase residents' complaints about "poor workmanship" such as poor insulation, leaks and stormwater runoff. Many Concord Chase residents want Toll's license revoked until all the problems are fixed. More than 40 residents of Concord Chase, or about 40 percent, levied complaints against Toll Brothers for poor workmanship.

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"The Concord Fight and A Fearless Isaac Davis" By D. Michael Ryan, company Historian with the Concord Minute Men, an 18th Century volunteer historic interpreter with the National Park Service and Associate Dean of Students at Boston College. "No, I am not and I haven't a man that is!" Thus on 19 April 1775 did Capt. Isaac Davis respond to the query if he was afraid to lead his Acton minute company and the colonial column "into the middle of the town (Concord) for its defense or die in the attempt".

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Does anyone have any fun ideas for Freepers in Greater Boston area this weekend. I plan on going to the parade in Concord on Monday. I was wondering if there were any support our troops rallies ,or freeper events that anyone knew about . Thank you!

The weather is getting warmer, the days are longer and tulips will be blooming soon. Must be time for the football season? Well, if you follow the Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) and the Philadelphia Liberty Belles, you know that the Belles season opener will be, April 19, at Garthwaite Field in Conshohocken.

Many Americans recognize Lexington as the place where “the shot fired around the world” ignited the American Revolution, but few Americans are knowledgeable of the details. For instance, what would compel the residents of a small Massachusetts town to stand against a considerably larger group of British soldiers? Just who were these 77 patriots who made the decision to line up on the Lexington Green on the morning of April 19, 1775? Arthur B. Tourtellot answers these and other questions in his 300-page book “Lexington and Concord”. I have summarized some of his salient points into a brief narrative describing...

<p>Students from Red Bluff High School joined in downtown Red Bluff today to show support and compassion to local law enforcement following the tragic death of Red Bluff Police Officer David Mobilio earlier this week.</p> <p>Students from the sophomore leadership classes, student government and peer partners organized the event that included leaving fresh flowers on the bell outside the police department, as well as congregating on the four corners of Main Street, Oak Street and Antelope Boulevard. The carnations were a donation from the Gazebo Floral and Gift Shoppe in Red Bluff.</p>

<p>The idea seems simple: Hundreds of men gather daily on city streets around the Bay Area looking for work, to the chagrin of some neighbors. So why not organize them, perhaps move them inside, maybe even offer them food and education while they wait for a job?</p>