Patriotism, per capita: 6 tiny towns where it 'always' feels like the Fourth
AUDUBON, New Jersey − Every year on July Fourth, this tiny town hosts a parade, complete with marching bands, fire trucks, babies in star-spangled strollers and kids on red-white-and-blued-up bikes. Homeowners compete for the best decorated houses; the fire department has an open house with free hot dogs. The Fourth is usually capped by a fireworks show at the high school, a small-town Independence Day like any other in America. But flag-waving is not a one-holiday deal here: This borough of about 8,700 people was built on pillars of patriotism.Audubon has been home to three Medal of Honor recipients, men who have been given the highest military honor, bestowed on those who have exhibited extraordinary valor in combat − more recipients per capita, its mayor said, than any other town in the United States. A monument to the three Medal of Honor recipients is a reminder outside Audubon High School of their sacrifices: Samuel M. Sampler in World War I and Edward C. Benfold and Nelson V. Brittin, who both served in Korea. Mayor Rob Jakubowski says Audubon is "always green and gold," referring to its schools' signature colors. "But we're also always red, white and blue." "Audubon loves this country, and it shows in the sacrifices these men made and on every July Fourth," he told USA TODAY. Here are some other small towns who are passionate about their love for America on July Fourth and beyond. In Bedford, Virginia, the cost of freedom might be understood a little more deeply than in other small towns. The town is home of the Bedford Boys, members of Company A of the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division of the National Guard. That company sent 38 men to theD-Day invasion of Normandy Beachand accounted for more casualties of the pivotal World War II battle per capita than any other town in the United States. Bedford remembersthe 20 hometown men who lost their lives in the battle and its immediate aftermath through observances, memorials and theNational D-Day Memorial. "This is a very tight-knit community," said Noelle Woodcock of theBedford Museum and Genealogical Library. The men of Company A were mostly from poor, rural backgrounds and signed on to National Guard service for a good-paying job, not thinking they'd be called up for combat duty, she said. Still, the men served with valor, many making the ultimate sacrifice. A Revolutionary War veteran living in Bristol kicked off the country's first known observance of "patriotic exercises," an event honoring military veterans, in 1785. The Rev. Henry Wight of theFirst Congregational Churchwas the first in the fledgling nation to do so, according to the town's website, and Bristol's Independence Day parade began sometime in the early 19th century. The town of about 23,000 people sees about 200,000at its annual July Fourth events, which actually start on Flag Day, June 14, and include a concert series, Orange Crate Derby, parade and fireworks. Preparations begin as far as a year in advance,resident and planning committee member Camille Teixeira told USA TODAY, and more than 150 committee members and volunteers work to organize and execute activities. "You have such pride for honoring all these folks," she said, calling it a "big, glorious celebration." "I stand there and I cry through the National Anthem, and it's just a wonderful experience." What's more American than baseball? Even if the myth that the national pastime was invented in the New York hamlet by Abner Doubleday has been debunked by theSociety for American Baseball Research, Cooperstown still leans into the mythology (whileacknowledging"history of baseball is actually much more complicated than that"). Ryan Geraghty, marketing and communications director for Cooperstown, said the small village of 1,600 welcomes "hundreds of thousands" of people every summer, and while many of them are baseball players, coaches and fans, many are also drawn to its other attractions. Doubleday Fieldand theNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museummay be the stars of Cooperstown's lineup, but the birthplace of "Last of the Mohicans" author James Fenimore Cooper is also home to the Fenimore Art Museum (with an extensive collection of Native American art), a Main Street with shops and restaurants and scenic Otsego Lake. "July is our time to shine," Geraghty said, and not just on its baseball diamonds. "We're America's most perfect village. There are (July Fourth) fireworks over the lake," and nearbySpringfield Center, New York, will host its 111th Independence Day parade. Gallup's place in American history goes back long before AmericawasAmerica, Matt Robinson, tourism and marketing manager for the New Mexico town, told USA TODAY. Known in the Diné language of the Navajo Nation asNa'Nizhoozhi, or "The Bridge," Gallup was a Native American trading center for centuries before the city was officially founded in 1881. "We bring people together," said Robinson, including Indigenous communities, veterans and Americans of all types, drawn to Gallup's natural beauty and rich Native history. But he said Gallup also has "a disproportionate − in a good way − number of Native Americans who have served in the Armed Forces," including theNavajo Code Talkers, whose speakers (along with other Native language-speakers) confounded Axis code breakers during World War II. Named by Rand McNally in 2013 and 2014 as "America's Most Patriotic Small Town," Gallup welcomes the annualRun for the Wall, a California-to-Washington, DC, motorcycle ride to honor veterans as it makes its way along Route 66 through the town. "We try to embody patriotism in our everyday life," Robinson said. "Our town is chock full of history dating back thousands of years and we credit our local Indigenous communities for keeping those traditions alive." No other town in the United States gave its name to both a decisive battle in the war to keep our nation united, and a historic presidential address meant to heal the wounds of a nation torn asunder. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is "home to some of the most pivotal moments in American history,"the bloody Civil War battle, a three-day-long ordeal with an estimated 50,000 casualties, said Mary Grace Kauffman, media relations manager for Destination Gettysburg. Days after the fight that helped turn the tide for the Union forces, President Abraham Lincoln came to the battlefield and gave one of the most famous speeches in American history, the Gettysburg Address. The battle took place July 1-3, 1863, and July Fourth is, of course, Independence Day. The National Park Service hosts ranger talks, and there are tours and reenactments in Gettysburg. "It's really important to remember the history, the sacrifice and where we as a nation came from," Kauffman said. "This is the closest you get to seeing that history in person." Do you want to share a slice of Americana with USA TODAY? Contact Phaedra Trethan by email at ptrethan@usatoday.com, on X (formerly Twitter) @wordsbyphaedra, on BlueSky @byphaedra, or on Threads @by_phaedra This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Six small towns where it's 'always' July Fourth
Patriotism, per capita: 6 tiny towns where it 'always' feels like the Fourth AUDUBON, New Jersey − Every year on July Fourth, this t...
