On April 19th each year, Americans nationwide gather to commemorate the battles of Lexington and Concord that took place on this day in 1775. As the first battles of the American Revolutionary War, those first shots fired that ultimately led to our freedom as a nation still resonate with Americans across the country today. This year, Patriots’ Day gave Americans pause for more than just the usual reasons.

From coast to coast, historical reenactors suit up in period gear to relive the events of April 19th, 1775, but that day this year had an even deeper significance for Massachusetts residents. This year’s commemorative reenactment in Lexington, Mass. was particularly emotional, just one year after the Boston Marathon Bombings of 2013. The memories of those tragic events on the anniversary of that day were fresh in people’s minds in Lexington, as well as elsewhere in Massachusetts and across the country.

In memory of the attacks on the innocent Boston bystanders one year later, Boston residents, businesses, and sports teams directed their thoughts and well-wishes to the families and victims of the bombing. In honor of this special Marathon Monday on April 21, 2014, the Boston Red Sox held a ceremony to commemorate those victimized in last year’s attacks.

And of course, this year’s Boston Marathon was all about remembering and empowering the victims at last year’s finish line. The themes of Unity and Boston Strong were never so alive as they were surrounding this year’s Marathon Monday events.

Back in Lexington, battle reenactors were feeling those same emotions as they recalled the turmoil that their fellow Americans have faced over the past 12 months since the attack, acknowledging the many challenges still ahead for those victims.

“We felt a greater sense of responsibility,” one participant said, “to uphold and stand for those traditions of liberty and freedom that we’ve got to maintain through all these tragedies that we face.”

Another reenactor added that the Marathon bombings last year were “another test of our freedoms.”

Though the Lexington reenactors have been gathering for more than a decade to participate in this event, they all agreed that 2014 had a distinctly more significant feel to it. As they brought to life “the shot heard round the world” a la 1775, the blasts heard round the world from 2013 Boston Marathon were ringing in their ears.