Historical Change of Command Ceremony

BOSTON - May 28, 2018 - PRLog -- BOSTON, MA – JUNE 4, 2018 The Ancient & Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts will parade from Faneuil Hall to the Boston Common for the change of command ceremony held the first Monday in June since 1638. This will be the 380^th Anniversary of the oldest chartered Military organization in the Western Hemisphere and 3^rd oldest in the world. Marching with the AHAC will be units of the Centennial Legion of Historic Military Commands comprised of the orginal militias from the 13 original colonies of the United States.

At 12:30 PM the Parade forms on North and Congress Streets then marches to the Boston Common for the historic Drum Head Election where the incumbent elected Officers led by current Captain Commanding Dennis C. O'Brien and newly elected Captain Commanding LTC Charles McCarthy appearing before the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Commander-in-Chief, or his designated representative, to surrender their commissions. The newly elected Officers then appear before the Governor to receive their commissions for the coming year. At the parade and change of command ceremony will be historical units coming from North & South Carolina, Georgia, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire as well as other Massachusetts militia groups. The National Guard will salute the incoming and outgoing officers as well as the Governor of Massachusetts or his designee.

The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts is the oldest chartered military organization in the western hemisphere, founded by a member of the Honourable Artillery Company of London. Its charter was granted in March 1638 by the Great and General Court of Massachusetts Bay and signed by Governor John Winthrop. The "AHAC" is the 3^rd oldest chartered military organization in the world behind the Swiss Guard, founded in 1506 and the Honourable Artillery Company of London, founded in 1537. The membership has included 11 Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients, 4 Presidents of the United States and service men and women that have fought in every war and conflict in service to their colony, Commonwealth, and Nation.