What is a Minuteman?

A Minuteman was a militiaman who was ready to march a moments notice.

Who Were the Minutemen?

The Massachusetts colony’s militia was known as the minutemen. They were called minutemen because they were ready for battle at a minutes notice. The Minutemen were a small hand-picked elite force which were required to be highly mobile and able to assemble quickly. The men that were chosen to become Minutemen were volunteer citizens such as fisherman, farmers, and trade smith’s. All of these men had to be enthusiastic, reliable, and physically fit.

What about the Minutemen Missile?

Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr High School also ties its roots to the Minutemen Missile program launched & founded at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Minuteman was – and still is today – a technological wonder. It could stand dormant and unmanned for days, weeks, months and decades on end, needing only limited maintenance and upkeep.

At a Moments Notice

Remotely controlled from underground launch control centers miles away from the silos, it offered a hair trigger launch response. From the time keys were turned to execute a positive launch command, until the missile left the silo, only took about a minute. Hence the name Minuteman. The name was also a play on the same term used to describe America’s Revolutionary War soldiers who responded within a matter of minutes to protect the homeland from the British.