Lexington’s Long Military History – Hanscom AFB Has Played a Critical Role

Saturday March 16^th, 10 a.m.,  Lexington High School

From fostering a scrappy civilian militia to supporting an Air Force base, Lexington has a long and proud military history. As part of the Lexington’s 300^th anniversary celebration, the Incorporation Weekend Committee is honored to have State Representative Jay Kaufman moderate a panel on military history that will include leaders from Hanscom Air Force Base and MIT’s Lincoln Labs.

The panel will explore Lexington’s history and how today’s Lexington fits into regional and national defense.  Complementing the panel, there will be a chance to see and touch some of the cutting-edge military and intelligence hardware whose DNA is traced back to Lexington. 

Modern-day Hanscom Air Force Base began its existence as an air field in the early 1940’s during WWII and remains a 2-star command center and major contributor to the local economy and community. As Rep. Kaufman points out, “We all realize the importance of Hanscom politically and economically for Lexington, but we rarely pay attention to the advancements Hanscom has fostered that have had national impact. This program will educate and surprise us.” The panel will explore the critical role Hanscom plays in shaping our national defense, intelligence gathering, and military communications.

Lexington has also been home for the past 60 years to MIT’s Lincoln Labs - a federally funded research and development center that applies advanced technology to problems of national security. Lincoln Labs was originally housed on the base starting in the early 1950s and was home to the development of radar.

Join us for this important program on Saturday March 16^th at 10am at Lexington High School. The military history panel is one of many being offered about history and politics during Incorporation Weekend. Other events include talks about the role of non-profits in Lexington, Lexington’s farming history and women in politics. For more information about the military history panel or other Incorporation Weekend events, please visit www.lexington300.org.