‘Beautiful tribute’: Thousands of flags honor fallen Mass. service members on the Boston Common

Tucker, thanks. Tens of thousands of flags are planted on the Boston Common this weekend. It's a Memorial Day tradition in the city honoring service members who made the ultimate sacrifice. Boston 25 News reporter Alyssa Azara joining us live from the Common this morning as people stop by and pay their respects. Alyssa. That's right, Kelly, and this display is often emotional for those visiting. All morning we've been seeing more and more people stopping by here, paying their respects and offering a moment of silence. This sea of red, white, and blue represents 37,000 American flags, each one representing a Massachusetts service member who has died while serving our country. Hundreds of volunteers have been planting this flag garden at the base of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument here on the Boston Common since 2010. The display is organized by the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund in partnership with Home Base, a non-profit helping veterans and their families. One woman visiting here this morning says the flag garden forces us to reflect. I think it's a beautiful tribute, although it's so minimal compared to what they gave up, right? So I think it just helps us remember because so many of us haven't lived through what they lived through. Many people stopping by here this morning tell me that they enjoy the peace and quiet that comes with visiting on the Common this morning. And this is open to the public all through Monday through Memorial Day, so anyone can stop by and pay tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. For now, we're live from Boston. Alyssa Azara for your local station, Boston 25 News.