Happy Bunker Hill Day!

June 17, 2009
It's late, I've almost missed it. But the nuns will tell you.....Maggie is often tardy!

Today is the 234th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. An important event that is much sited and little understood in American history.

So....how to commemorate such an event?

Well you could visit the Bunker Hill Monument whose cornerstone was laid on this day in 1825 (with construction completed in 1843). You could climb the 294 stairs and enjoy the vista. Although, I will be honest and say it's not as exciting since they installed the plexiglass to keep nitwits from throwing stuff out of the windows. What can you do? Anyway, after you climb back down, you could go across the street to the Bunker Hill Museum. It's in the old library where I spent many happy hours. Then of course it would be a waste if you didn't sneak down to the Navy Yard and visit my friends on USS Constitution & USS Cassin Young DD-793.

But maybe you are not in or near Boston (I'm sorry). Maybe you are on the west coast. In that case, you should visit the USS Bunker Hill CG-52 in it's home port of San Diego. Tours of "The Sword of the Fleet" were the highlight during last weekend's 23rd annual "Seabee Days" at the Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, CA.

If that's not possible you could always read "Dangers Hour" by Max Kennedy. It's the story of USS Bunker Hill CV-17 and the fateful day, May 11, 1945 when Japanese kamikazes that struck her.

If you paid any attention in school, you hear Bunker Hill Day and you think ""Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes".

If you live in the Boston area, you hear Bunker Hill Day and you think "hack holiday".

If you live in Charlestown or know someone from Charlestown you think "parade & parties"

But I tied it to the Navy and I can do this with almost any subject, lol.