The Chiefs will bring a piece of Revolutionary War history onto the field Sunday, wearing a pregame patch inspired by the first battle of the American Revolution when they face the New York Jets.
The design pays tribute to Captain John Parker, who was in charge of the militia forces in Lexington, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775. That was the day British troops marched out of Boston to seize gunpowder the colonists had stored, a move that came as tensions were rising toward open rebellion.
Parker’s name is tied to one of the most famous lines from that day: “Stand your ground,” Parker is said to have told the men, per the American Battlefield Trust. “Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”
The fighting that followed marked the start of the Revolutionary War. After Lexington, the British pushed on to Concord, where another skirmish broke out before the troops headed back to Boston. The return trip turned into a brutal one.
The American Battlefield Trust describes what happened next this way: “The Lexington militia under Parker regrouped along the road, hiding behind rocks and trees, ready to ambush the British column in what is called Parker’s Revenge. The Lexington militia fired in a single group of attacks along the road that would inflict heavy casualties on the British as they retreated.”
A statue of Parker, also known as the Minuteman Statue, stands in Lexington and served as the inspiration for the Chiefs’ patch.
The team shared the look on social media, calling it a custom Salute to Service patch honoring the country’s 250th anniversary and all service members. The patch will appear on the Chiefs’ warmups for Sunday’s game.
The game will also include several other Salute To Service elements. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Michael Lee will lead the Chiefs team introductions.
Retired U.S. Navy Honorary Chief Petty Officer Steven Powell will sing the national anthem.
And the pregame flyover will feature a C-130H from Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph, along with two A-10 Thunderbolts from Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster.
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