VFW puts on Independence Day reenactment
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Members of the VFW took to the street on the Fourth of July to reenact the historic battles at Lexington and Concord.
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POLSON — The Polson VFW spiced up this year’s Fourth of July Parade with their second ever reenactment of the historic battles at Lexington and Concord.
Held before the start of the parade proper, the reenactment aims to bring a little extra history to the festivities ever year and remind those in attendance what happened in 1776 with some live storytelling.
“A couple years ago, there were only a couple of us who walked in the Memorial Day parade and then the 4th of July parade because we were all shut down because of Covid,” commented VFW Quartermaster Matthew Lee. “It got me thinking, ‘why the heck are we doing this?’ Well, we want to share this experience with the next generation of how grateful we are to have this country that gives us such opportunity.”
The VFW started their reenactments in the 2022 parade, a smaller affair with about 13 redcoats walking down the street and pulling a wagon with a Bluetooth speaker playing the sound of marching drums. This year was a bigger endeavor, with more participants and actual drums accompanying the march down the street. When “Paul Revere” came down the street shouting that the British were coming, all the kids participating ran into the VFW to grab their cap guns and tricorn hats and join in the battle right outside.
Both years it’s involved kids from the Polson Boxing Club, of which Lee is also a part. “I’ve got adults helping, but the fantasy is that one day all the patriots are middle school kids and the redcoats are high schoolers. That’s the goal, where the little guys beat up the big guys,” Lee explained. “We started this event to make history come alive for the children in our community. Everyone’s welcome to participate in this event, dress up in colonial clothes, bring a cap gun, and help us push back the British.”
2026 will be the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and Lee hopes that when that time comes, the reenactment will have grown enough to make it into a significant event. Particularly as he hasn’t heard of any other events like this being put together in Montana.
“Last year was small, this year (is bigger), and next year will be even bigger; so the more people who participate the better. I hope one day I show up and there’s a four-year-old Ben Franklin walking down the street,” Lee laughed. “We’ve only got this moment with these kids, because tomorrow they’re going to be old and boring like us, so let’s take advantage of this, have some fun with them.”
To learn more about next year’s reenactment and how to get involved when the time draws closer, go online to the Polson Minutemen Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/427118049258419
