The familiar poem by Longfellow that begins with “Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere” rattled around in our brains as we explored the Minuteman National Historic Park, watched the excellent multimedia presentation at the Visitor’s Center, listened to ranger talks, and wandered along the road from Concord toward Lexington. Two if by sea meant the there were two lanterns hung side by side in the tower of the Old North Church in Boston. We learned about the role of the militia in colonial times, that they were in fact well trained according to the policies and procedures of the British military, and the special status of the Minutemen. We got a clue as to where to begin searching for information on Karen’s ancestor who was likely an Minuteman, and watched a musket firing. Lexington Commons is not part of the national park but nonetheless there was a costumed interpreter there who answered some of our questions and referred us to the Lexington Visitors Center for more answers and to see the diorama that gave us a three dimensional picture of the action that day, April 19, 1775.
Imperial War Museum
London’s Imperial War Museum in Southwark founded even as the First World War raged offers insights into the myriad costs of the wars of the 20th and 21st Centuries. It was a most disquieting but valuable reminder of the myriad costs of war.
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