December 10, 2025 By Hingham Anchor Community Editor, Erin Elefante
You probably recognize one of Hingham’s holiday staples, the soldiers on Main Street, but do you know the heartwarming story behind the smallest soldier leading the way? That part of the story goes back ten years and involves a theft, an indelible act of kindness, and a little bit of mystery. But let’s start from the beginning.
Amy and John Happ, originally from the Midwest, moved around the world, eventually settling in Hingham in the Fall of 2001 with their two young children, Mike and Nora.
Two years prior they moved East from San Francisco to Middleborough, MA, and suddenly having a big yard in which to display Christmas decorations, decided to commission the woodworking husband of their son’s Kindergarten teacher to create the beautiful handmade soldiers. The soldiers came to Hingham with them and quickly became a beloved holiday tradition in town.
Each the year the soldiers go up the weekend after Thanksgiving, mostly without fail, albeit one year when they were traveling and began receiving panicked messages from friends and neighbors wondering why the soldiers were not yet standing guard on the Happ’s lawn. Over the years the soldiers have donned various getups from masks during Covid to UPenn and Indiana University t-shirts when their children went off to their respective colleges. Someone even suggested she add a wedding dress when her children were getting married, although they didn’t take it that far. She often looks out the window to see people taking photos of the soldiers or even with the soldiers. “They really took on a life of their own.”
For many years they delighted the town, and, Amy laughs, were often stolen. “Almost every year a soldier will disappear, typically high school kids, but they are quite heavy so typically left somewhere nearby. We put our address on the backs and the police know our soldiers and bring them back to us.”
But in 2015, one of the soldiers didn’t return.
Amy took to Facebook to ask for help as they were heartbroken to lose something so sentimental to their family. Many saw the post on the Hingham Pinboard Facebook page and expressed sympathy but no leads came from it. The holiday season passed, and the soldier didn’t return to the family.
Fast forward to Fall of 2016, a few weeks before the soldiers were scheduled to reappear on Main Street, and the Happs returned from a weekend away to find a most unexpected surprise leaning against their front door.
A small, wooden solider with an Anonymous note attached, stating,
“Every year I love driving by your house with the soldiers. I was saddened to see that one had been taken. Over Columbus Day, I was in VT at a craft fair and saw this soldier. I know it is not the same color but thought it was the same size so you could paint it to match. I hope it works and I look forward to seeing them on your lawn this Christmas. Merry Christmas!”
Amy admitted to crying when she found the soldier and note. “They took something that made me so sad and turned it into such a joyful moment. The fact they did it anonymously and didn’t want credit but took the time to do that was so unexpected and the note was so heartwarming. It felt like something they did for the community.” The soldier, while being a bit smaller, matched the other soldiers quite well and Amy positioned him at the front, “as their leader!”.
Posting the update on Facebook, the community rejoiced alongside the Happs. It is a story I often share with my own children about how small acts of kindness can mean so much. They shout, “Tell the story of the soldiers!” each year as we drive by during the holidays. I am sure many others in town are filled with holiday spirit when they too see the brave little soldier out front leading the charge.
Should the Happs decide to sell their home, their plan would be to offer the new owners the soldiers to continue to display, and if they would pass, to then offer them to those in the community so someone can carry on the special tradition.
Amy still hopes to learn who brought her the soldier as she would love to thank them in person. It is clear that as special as the soldiers have always been to their family, having the small soldier as a reminder of such a lovely and pure act makes them treasure their display even more. Our special community once again pulled together in an effort to help, and one person’s act of kindness and generosity still resonates all these years later. Some might say a Christmas miracle right here on Main Street Hingham.
