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“I’m kind of like a little kid.”
This is how John Neuhauser, a fixture in Sudbury since he was indeed a little kid, describes this coming Saturday, April 19th. Some folks know John as Kim’s husband, or as Kaleigh’s and Brennan’s dad, or even as the coach that once taught their sons and daughters soccer. Others know him as the Lt. Colonel of the Sudbury Companies of Militia and Minute, an organization that has been a big part of his life for nearly 30 years and which he has the honor of leading in this weekend’s 250th anniversary of the march to the Old North Bridge.
“It’s exciting this year,” he says, his enthusiasm evident by the joy in his voice. “It’s great to be part of the 250th celebration, and of course there is so much excitement and buzz around it. I wish we could keep this level of interest in Patriots Day all the time to be honest. It’s kind of a forgotten part of our history.”
When asked what brought him to SCMM in the late 90s, he believes it was fate. “I grew up in Sudbury. I always went to parades and of course saw the militia marching. But I wasn’t that interested in history until high school, when I had a really good teacher. I studied history at Boston College and started going to the Concord Patriots Day parade with my college roommates. After college I happened to work alongside Melinda Connor. I mentioned the Concord parade to her one day and she said, ‘My husband (George) and I are part of this group in Sudbury. You should come by some day and see what it’s all about.’”
And so he did. And the spell was cast.
“I immediately liked the camaraderie,” he says. “We aren’t the biggest reenactment group but we have a lot of fun together. It’s a great bunch of people who all love history and like to learn a lot of things. We like to do as much as we can in the community by way of educating the public on the many aspects of the history around 1775 and we actually do some unique things other groups don’t do.”
Such as?
“We have the Colonial Faire and Muster of Fyfe and Drum the last Saturday in September at Wayside Inn (https://www.sudburyminutemen.org/faire.htm),” he explains. “And we hold a Colonial Twelfth Night Ball every January (https://www.sudburyminutemen.org/12thNiteBall_2025_video.htm).” Members of SCMM have also presented programs at local schools, greeted visitors on Sunday afternoons at Wayside Inn, provided musket salutes at both weddings and funerals, and even appeared in movies and on television. Most notably, of course is their participation in parades.
“We march every year on April 19th, rain or shine. We step off from Wayside Inn at 4am and head to Sudbury Center. From there we march up into Concord by Barrett’s Farm (with a police escort when crossing Route 2) and make our way to Concord center. It’s about a nine mile march and we usually reach the Old North Bridge around 11:30am,” John explains. “This year it’s a little different with the big crowds expected. We will only walk as far as the North Sudbury cemetery (on Pantry Road) and from there a bus will take us to join the Concord parade.”
Are the uniforms uncomfortable?
“Sometimes,” he laughs. “They can get hot and scratchy. And they are somewhat tight at times. But that’s all part of it.”
“I so enjoy leading this group. I count my blessings every day that I can be involved.”
This year marks John’s second appointment as Lt. Colonel (the first was 2009-2010; you can read John’s ‘memoirs’ of that year here: https://www.sudburyminutemen.org/ToKillaSquirrel3.htm#neuhauser). “I’m very honored to have this role in such an important year. I didn’t plan it but so glad it worked out the way it did. I so enjoy leading this group. I count my blessings every day that I can be involved.”
In addition to leading the group in Saturday’s parade, the Lt. Colonel is also responsible for running monthly meetings and practice musket drills, finding guest speakers, and overseeing all of the group’s activities. “I may be the face of the company right now, but we have a great set of officers and volunteers that help me every step of the way. I couldn’t possibly do it without them. They all carry their fair share of the weight and then some.”
For anyone whose interest in our shared history is reignited during the anniversary celebrations, John and the SCMM extend a very warm welcome to new members. “We are a tight knit group, all of us, whether you’ve been part of us for 40-50 years or for 4-5 weeks. We share a love of history and of friendship, and we invite folks to come to our meetings and see what we are all about.”
Who knows: if John’s experience is any indication, after one meeting you may just stick around for 30 years.
For more about the Sudbury Companies of Militia and Minute, the public is invited to attend their monthly meeting held on the first Monday of each month, 7:30pm, at the Wayside Inn. To read more about SCMM and the history of 1775, check out their website:
