Mass. National Guard celebrated in Salem
Anniversary of original 1637 muster honored
SALEM — The anniversary of the Massachusetts National Guard went off with a bang Saturday morning — 19 bangs, to be exact.
Cannons, trumpets, and fighter jets all heralded the guard’s reenactment of the first muster in 1637, when the East Regiment of the Colonial militia gathered on Salem Common — “mustering” up all the men and weapons they could find — and united behind the goal of defending their community.
“Before this country became the United States of America, neighbors came together in this very place with whatever arms they had and pledged to work together,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, former mayor of Salem, to a crowd of more than 500 soldiers, veterans, and community members.
“Each year we proudly honor the first muster... [and] your unbroken service since 1636,” Driscoll said, looking out onto the sea of guardsmen standing in formation. “That’s what earned us the nation’s first, but it is the work of the guard [today] that has earned our dedication and respect . ... As we honor you today, we honor you everyday.”
Geoffrey Love, director of historical services for the guard, explained that at the time of the first muster, the colonists were fresh from a conflict with the Mashantucket Pequot tribal nation and said that “with the [recent] experience of war, they wanted to be better prepared... for whatever might come.”
In December 1636, the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony ordered the Colony’s militia to organize into a North, South, and East Regiment, according to the City of Salem. The regiments began to train with weekly drills in preparation for what would later be known as the Pequot War, or the Pequot Massacre. Every male aged 16 to 60 was required to join. The first official muster took place several months later and is nationally recognized as the foundation of the US National Guard.
“Having each town’s trained militia wasn’t enough; organizing themselves English-style gave them more strength,” Love said. “When those first militia regiments were formed, it launched the citizen-soldier concept in the Colonies that’s continued to today.”
The reenactment of the first muster was accompanied by descendants of the original regiments: the 181st Infantry, the 182nd Infantry, the 101st Field Artillery, and the 101st Engineer Battalion. These four units are the oldest in the US armed forces, with a rich military history, according to the National Guard. The 101st Field Artillery, for example, were the first American forces to fire offensive shots in World War I.
Saturday’s muster ceremony began with a rededication of the Washington Arch, commissioned in 1801 as a tribute to former president George Washington’s legacy, according to the City of Salem.
Rhonda Aubin-Smith, a Navy veteran and member of the Salem Common Neighborhood Association, which spearheaded the arch’s restoration, said she and her friends were moved “to see the arch restored to its original beauty and to know the history we have here.”
“Our ancestors were from Salem, so I feel connected in that way, too,” said Aubin-Smith, 60. “To know our home has been designated a site of history and to have it celebrated, it’s just incredible.”
As Driscoll cut the ribbon on the arch, a National Guard helicopter circled overhead, growing larger and louder as it descended onto the common. The force of the propellors sent soldiers running for their hats as the helicopter spun onto the grass, coming to a stop as several guardsmen hopped out with flags in hand.
In time with the drums of the military band, hundreds of soldiers filed into formation, standing at attention while the band played the national anthem. As the horns sounded the last note, two F-15 fighter jets soared by overhead. And more than a few spectators jumped as the first of 19 howitzer cannon blasts rang out into the air, each new blast further unfurling a thick cloud of smoke across the common.
Just before the ceremony concluded, Major General Gary W. Keefe presented Driscoll, Acting Mayor of Salem Robert McCarthy, and other state and local officials with cannon shells from the howitzer in honor of their public service.
While the crowd rang out with applause at the presentation of each award, less delighted with the cannons was April, a small white dog, who was still quivering minutes after the final blast.
“Poor thing, she usually doesn’t mind noise but I think this has traumatized her,” said Beverly business owner Lauren Poussard, 53, cradling the whimpering dog in her arms.
Poussard, who grew up in Salem and has friends in the military band, said she attends the anniversary commemoration nearly every year, and is proud to be connected to such deep local history.
“It’s amazing when you think about it, because it’s the very first,” she said. “It’s quite powerful to realize we were here at the beginning, and are still here today.”