Largest Military Parade on the East Coast Marches through Boston
Story by Laura Berry
BOSTON — Maj. Gen. Gary W. Keefe, the Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard, members of the 215th Army Band, the 101st Field Artillery, the National Lancers and other Soldiers and Airmen of the Massachusetts National Guard attend June Day on Boston Common, June 2, 2025.
On the first Monday in June, the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company holds an election of the Officers and Sergeants. The AHAC is a patriotic service organization that strives to preserve historic and patriotic traditions of Boston and the United States. Their charter was granted in March 1638 by the Great and General Court of Massachusetts Bay and signed by Governor John Winthrop.
The Company, the Massachusetts National Guard and other invited patriotic and military entities marched from Government Center (adjacent to the AHAC Headquarters at Faneuil Hall) to the Granary Burial Ground on Tremont Street. At the cemetery they lay a wreath on the gravesite of Robert Keayne, the First Captain Commanding of the Company.
The parade, which is the largest military parade on the East Coast, proceeds to the Cathedral Church of St. Paul on Tremont Street for a memorial service for recently deceased members. The parade then reconvenes and proceeds to Boston Common. At the Common, the drumhead elections is reenacted for officers and 12 elected Sergeants. The ballots are distributed, collected and placed upon the drumhead, which is located in front of the Company.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey arrived on Boston Common and was greeted by senior officers. They led her down the path to the ceremony where she was honored by the 101st Field Artillery as they fire a 19-gun salute from the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on the hill behind the ceremony. The many formations that were present then performed a pass in review for the Governor.
Out-going officers of the AHAC tendered their resignations to Governor Healey and newly elected Officers received their commissions.
The election is a reenactment of the first election and has continued without interruption since 1638.
Some of the attendees of the ceremony and parade were representatives of the HAC Regiment – Honourable Artillery Company (United Kingdom), the USS Constitution Color Guard, the Lexington Minutemen, the Yarmouth Minutemen, the Lincoln Minutemen, The Acting Minutemen, the Wilmington Minutemen, the Aleppo Minutemen, First Corps of Cadets, the Second Corps of Cadets, the Watertown Provisional Guard, the Salem Trayn’d Band, First and Second Governor’s Foot Guard of Connecticut, the Second Continental Light Dragoons of Connecticut, the 6th Connecticut Regiment, the First and Second Governors Horse Guard of Connecticut, New Haven Grays (historical name for 102nd Infantry Regiment) of Connecticut, Newport Artillery of Rhode Island, The Kentish Guard of Rhode Island, Patuxet Rangers of Rhode Island, the United Companies of the Train of Artillery of Rhode Island, the Federal Blues of Rhode Island, the Veteran Corps of Artillery of New York, Old City Guard of New York, the Washington Light Infantry of South Carolina, the Sumpter Guard of South Carolina, the Old Guard of the Gate City Georgia, the First Maine West Engineer Company of Maine and others.
*Information presented by the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts
