Congressman wants federal holiday for Bunker Hill Day

June 17 is just another day for many of us, but if one congressman has his way, it will someday become a national holiday.

Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) wants to add Bunker Hill Day to the batch of summertime federal holidays.

{mosads}The anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill is celebrated in parts of the congressman’s home state — but so far, that’s it.

Critics have dubbed the day off as a “hack holiday.” Columnist and conservative radio host Howie Carr wrote in an op-ed, “Look at the calendar — consider that interminable five-week stretch between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. Not a single day off for our hard-working patriots, I mean payroll patriots. Except Bunker Hill Day.”

For those who might need a history refresher, the 1775 Revolutionary War battle in Boston (which actually took place mostly on Breed’s Hill, not Bunker Hill) was a victory for the British, but the heavy casualties at the hands of the colonists helped to energize colonial troops.

“It says more about America, what happened that day, than almost anything since. And yet, we tend to forget. None of us forgets on Memorial Day, none of us forgets on Flag Day, none of us forgets on Veterans Day. We should not forget on Bunker Hill Day,” Capuano told a crowd at a Bunker Hill breakfast, according to the Boston Herald.

But don’t make any vacation plans for June 17 just yet (which happens to fall on a Sunday this year anyway). The paper reports that the lawmaker aims to gain some support from locals before filing any legislation in Washington.