FIRST CELEBRATION. >> THANKSGIVING IN PLYMOUTH, NEXT ON CHRONICLE. GOOD EVENING, THIS THANKSGIVING WEEK WE ARE HERE PLYMOUTH, WHERE THE VERY FIRST THANKSGIVING TOOK PLACE. >> TONIGHT, WE CELEBRATE THIS COMMUNITY, NOW 400 YEARS OLD, WITH A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE PEOPLE AND PLACES CHRONICLE HAS VISITED. TED REINSTEIN STARTS US OFF. >> IT WAS SETTLED IN 1620. IT IS KNOWN NOW AS AMERICA’S HOMETOWN AND IS THE OLDEST TOWN IN MASSACHUSETTS, BUT PLYMOUTH AL COVERS 134 SQUARE MILES, MAKING IT THE LARGEST TOWN IN THE STATE AS WELL. >> PLYMOUTH CAN SOMETIMES SEEM LIKE MANY PLACES ALL IN ONE. WATER, WOODS, A BUSY HARBOR, A THRIVING DOWNTOWN, AND A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY. OK, A LOT OF HISTORY. FIRST-TIME VISITORS UNDERSTANDABLY SEEK OUT NATIONAL LANDMARKS LIKE PLYMOUTH ROCK AND MAYFLOWER TWO, BUT JUST UP THE STREET IS A SLIGHTLY LESSER-KNO LANDMARK WITH AN EQUALLY UNIQUE AND HISTORIC CONNECTION. >> IT’S A NATIONA MONUMENT THAT RECALLS WHAT THE PILGRIMS STOOD FOR, FREEDOM OF RELIGION. IT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A CHURCH. >> SHE IS A MEMBER OF PLYMOUTH’S FEIGNED -- FAMED FIRST CHURCH. IT IS THE FIFTH BUILDING ON THIS SITE, STARTING WITH THE PILGRIMS ORIGINAL FORT IN 1622. THAT 398 YEARS OF HISTORY GIVES FIRST PARISH A DISTINCT HISTORY. >> THE LONGEST CONTINUOUS PLACE OF WORSHIP IN THE COUNTRY. WILLIAM BREWSTER WAS THE FIRST AND PROBABLY MOST WELL-KNOWN ELDER, AND WE STILL HAVE BREWSTER’S WORSHIPING HERE. WE FEEL SUCH AFFECTION FOR A BUILDING THAT WAS SO LOVINGLY BUIL AND DESIGNED. >> THANKSGIVING BELONGS IN PLYMOUTH, MASS, AND WE OWN I >> ALAS, THIS YEAR PLYMOUTH HAS HAD TO FORGO ITS MOST BELOVED TRADITION, THE BAND’S, THE FLOATS, THE PAGEANTRY OF AMERICA’S HOMETOWN CELEBRATION AND THE PRIDE AND JOY OF ITS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. >> MY WIFE WANTS ME TO GO TO SLEEP AND MY WIFE IS ROLLING - MY MIND IS ROLLING WITH DIFFERENT CONCEPTS OF WHAT TO DO EVERY YEAR. TO ME, IT’S PERSONAL. I EMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES IN 1966 AS A YOUNG BO WE MOVED TO DORCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS. WE LIVED IN A THREE DECKER, 14 OF US, ONE SECOND FLOOR. I HAVE A TREMENDOUS APPRECIATION FOR THIS GREAT LAND. WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS A TREMENDOUS STORY OF A TREMENDOUS COUNTRY TOLD BY ITS OWN PEOPLE. >> JOINING ME NOW IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE THANKSGIVING PARADE. AS WE SAW, THIS IS A TRUE LABOR OF LOVE FOR YOU. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED? >> 25 YEARS. IT IS A LABOR OF LOVE. I REALLY ENJOY DOING THIS. I THINK AMERICA HAS A PROFOUND HISTORY NOT ONLY AS A NATION BUT TO THE WORLD. IT ALL BEGAN RIGHT HERE IN PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, AND I THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANT. >> WHAT DOES THIS PARADE MEAN TO PLYMOUTH AND HOW DID IT GET SO BIG? >> PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, ALL OVER THE WORLD TO TAKE PART IN THIS EVENT. PEOPLE FROM HERE TO BOSTON AND NEW HAMPSHIRE AND BEYOND HAVE MADE IT A PLACE TO COME EVERY THANKSGIVING. WE ARE SITTING IN THE NATURAL HARBOR WHERE THE PILGRIMS CAME. I THINK CELEBRATING THE WHOLE THANKSGIVING EVE 100 YARDS FROM WHERE THEY HAD THE FIRST CELEBRATION IS A BIG DEAL FOR PLYMOUTH. PEOPLE LOVE IT. THEY ENJOY IT. THEY LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY. I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO UNDERSTAN WHAT HAPPENED, HOW THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE REALLY HELP THEM AND SAVED THEM THEIR FIRST WINTER HERE. THERE ARE A LOT OF STORIES TO TELL THAT I THINK THE NATION NEEDS TO HEAR OVER AND OVER AGAIN. >> NEXT YEAR IS A VERY SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY. >> YES, NEXT YEAR IS AN IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARY. DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO CELEBRATE AMERICA’S BIRTHDAY THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR IS GOING TO BE JUST AS WONDERFUL FOR US AND WE ARE PLANNING ON IT. IT WILL BE THE 400 ANNIVERSARY -- 400 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST THANKSGIVING. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO CELEBRATING WITH PLYMOUTH, AMERICA, AND THE WORLD. I HOPE THAT COME NEXT NOVEMBER WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO BE THANKFUL FOR