Casey Sherman - Boston Strong. A Citys Triumph over Tragedy

ForeEdge

An imprint of University Press of New England

www.upne.com

2015 Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge

All rights reserved

For permission to reproduce any of the material in this book, contact Permissions, University Press of New England, One Court Street, Suite 250, Lebanon NH 03766; or visit www.upne.com

Paper ISBN: 978-1-61168-559-6

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-61168-728-6

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014948151

Frontispiece: A makeshift memorial for marathon bombing victims at Copley Square, Boston, Massachusetts, on April 30, 2013. dinhhang / 123RF Stock Photo

For Martin Richard, Lingzi Lu, Krystle Campbell, Sean Collier, and all of the survivors of the April 2013 terror attacks in Boston. Each of you inspires this city and this nation every day.

FOREWORD

Marathon Monday is always one of the most remarkable days in Boston and has been for more than 100 years.

Its a day when people from across the globe turn their eyes to our great city to watch the worlds elite runners compete in one of the most unique and challenging road races known to man. For Bostonians, its a rite of spring as millions emerge from winter hibernation, congregate along the race route to cheer on thousands of runners and celebrate the human spirit.

Terrorists tried to destroy our beloved tradition on April 15, 2013. They failed.

When I became mayor of Boston in January 2014, fulfilling a lifelong dream of mine, one of the first challenges of my administration was to organize and oversee the first anniversary events of the Boston Marathon bombings. It was a monumental task as I was thrust into the position of trying to calm fears of terrorism while leading the city through one of its most somber moments.

The stories that unfold in the pages ahead may at times be difficult to read. The bombings undeniably left a trail of wreckage in our city marked by immeasurable sadness, tragedy, and heartbreak. The nation lost a little more of its innocence that day as well.

But there are also incredible tales of inspiration, hope, kindness, and heroism. What happened in the days and months after those cowardly attacks was nothing short of miraculous and revealed the indomitable spirit of Boston and America.

Authors Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge spent countless hours over several months interviewing first responders, witnesses, survivors, family members of those who lost their lives, and public officials. Their dedication, compassion, and commitment was fueled by a desire to honor the victims and survivors.

Like Wedge and Sherman, I have met many of the survivors and victims families and shared in their grief. I came away inspired by their strength and bravery. After reading this book, you will too.

So many of them have shared in something so sad. But they chose not to quit and instead turned their tragedy into ways to inspire and help others. Theyve formed charities. Theyve supported one another. Theyve worked hard to rebuild their lives. Theyve learned how to find a new normal.

Through their loss, grief, and sadness, theyve found ways to help others. Theyve been incredible models of love and kindness.

The city will never forget what happened that dark dayamong the darkest in Bostons long history. We will always honor those innocent people hurt and killed at the hands of cowards.

But the marathon will be strongeras it certainly was on the first anniversary of the bombings. I watched in amazement for hours as runners crossed the finish line on April 20, 2014, and knew that Boston would never be the same. But I also knew we would be better.

This city is resilient. This is our marathon, and no one is going to take it away from us.

Boston is a proud city, a fiercely loyal city. When you hurt one of us, you hurt us all. When one of us gets knocked down, we help them up. We take care of our own.

We will not be held down. We will not be afraid.

We are strong. We are Boston Strong.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh

BOSTON, MASS.

[1]

PATRIOTS DAY

The battle, Sir, is not to the strong alone;

it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.

Patrick Henry

LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS,
APRIL 15, 2013, 5:45 A.M.

The cold ground trembled as the drumbeat of war echoed across Lexington Green, where thousands of spectators huddled together against the early morning chill. With their hands tucked into the lined pockets of heavy coats and heads wrapped in the warmth of woolen hats, hoodies, and scally caps, these hearty onlookers had gathered to witness the annual bloodletting ritual that had grown to symbolize the violent birth of the American Revolution. The crowd stood ten rows deep on both sides of the green, some with arms raised in iPhone salutes to capture the spectacle on video to share later on social media channels like YouTube and Facebook. A group of distinguished guests occupied the best vantage point on a raised platform that had been draped in patriotic bunting and set up directly in front of the Jonathan Harrington House at 1 Harrington Road.

Those who had been coming out to the event each Patriots Day since the tradition had begun in 1969 recognized seventy-nine-year-old Bill Poole, a retired history and science teacher, who was standing in the center of the green with his silver mane tucked under a dark tricorne hat. For thirteen years, Poole had been a member of a local reenactment group known as the Lexington Minute Men, and the battle he was about to recreate was truly in his blood. Poole was a direct descendant of Ebenezer Locke, a farmer from Woburn who, according to some historians, fired the first musket shot against the British Regulars on that tragic April morning in 1775. Poole had played the role of his ancestor in previous reenactments, but this day was different. This day, he had finally been given the opportunity to perform what was considered the events lead role that of Captain John Parker.

It was Parker, a forty-six-year-old father of seven and hardened veteran of the French and Indian War, who had assembled a small band of armed colonists on the green 238 years before. Stand your ground. Dont fire unless fired upon, he told the group of just under seventy militiamen. But if they want to have a war, let it start here.

Poole recited his line as the British Regulars, draped in red coats and wearing white britches, formed in tight columns nearly a hundred yards away. The pounding of drums was suddenly replaced by an eerie silence as the crowd watched six actors in the roles of British Major John Pitcairn and others advance toward the colonists. Throw down your arms, ye villains, ye rebels, one actor shouted. Damn you, disperse! The warning was met by a rousing Huzzah! from the assembled British Regulars which in turn triggered a volley of giggles from the events younger spectators, many of whom had climbed the branches of tall oak trees for a better look at the carnage they were about to witness. Whether the result of steely resolve or simple confusion, the colonists refused to move. With precision and with muskets raised, the Regulars advanced toward their foes. In the guise of Captain Parker, Bill Poole seeing that his militiamen were grossly outnumbered ordered them to make a hasty retreat. At this moment, the crack of a single musket shot reverberated across the Lexington Green. The battle had begun.

A moment later, brilliant flashes of orange and white exploded from the muzzles of dozens of Red Coat muskets, and on cue the Lexington Minute Men began to fall to this sacred ground. The crowd gasped as the violence reached its climax when a British Regular plunged his bayonet into the chest of a single downed colonist. As the controlled chaos continued, the Lexington Green disappeared under a blanket of gray smoke that masked the faces of dying men, screaming where they lay. The drums of war thumped loudly once more while the British fell back into position. The smoke soon rose off the green, revealing the sacrifice beneath the bodies of men lying motionless on the grass. Once again, blood had been figuratively spilled, the annual ritual completed.