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Medina marks America’s 250th with reenactors, veterans honoring Revolutionary War patriots
Summary
Medina residents, reenactors and veterans gathered at the city’s old town graveyard on July 4, 2026, to honor Revolutionary War patriots buried there and to celebrate the community’s role in the nation’s 250th anniversary with demonstrations, speeches and personal remembrances.
Medina residents and military reenactors gathered at the city’s old town graveyard on July 4, 2026, to honor Revolutionary War patriots and mark America’s 250th anniversary.
The ceremony named three local patriots — Frederick Jones, John Clark and Harmon Munson — and included historical demonstrations and personal reflections from veterans and longtime residents. A presenter described period weaponry and battlefield conditions while veterans recounted service and sacrifice.
A resident who addressed the crowd said she had attended the 1976 celebrations and praised the weekend’s reenactors and military rites, saying the festival captured the “Spirit of ’76” and reflected Medina’s civic pride. “It just makes you so proud of the people that live here in our community that wanna do something like this to commemorate not only America 250 and our Revolutionary War patriots buried here in the cemetery,” the resident said.
A presenter demonstrating a flintlock musket explained the ignition process and its unreliability: “The sparks fall into the pan, set off the priming, which burns into the barrel through that hole and sets off the charge, you hope,” he said, describing why flintlocks often misfired in wet or worn conditions.
A Vietnam veteran who spoke described the personal cost of combat and the sense of duty that shaped his generation. “I was shot twice…and I was able to rescue the survivor,” he said, recounting a helicopter rescue in which three men died.
Jan Silva Hamby, a Medina native and a 32-year U.S. Navy veteran, thanked the community for honoring the town’s earliest veterans. “This turnout at the cemetery this morning has been fabulous to honor revolutionary war heroes who are really at the foundation of why we even exist today,” Hamby said, adding that the values she learned in Medina served her through a long military career.
Her husband, Dale Hamby, also a Medina native and military veteran, echoed those remarks, noting continuity between the bonds formed by soldiers in the past and those of today. The event continued with demonstrations of period devices, including a caltrop, and concluded with additional reflections on service and community.
Organizers framed the ceremony as both a local tribute and part of broader 250th-anniversary activities in Medina, emphasizing volunteer involvement and the role of reenactors in bringing historical context to the cemetery tribute.
