Downtown Boston teemed with people this past holiday weekend. Stroller brigades patrolled the streets, the scent of sunscreen wafted through the breeze, and a general air of well-being rested like a pleasantly warm blanket over the city.
Friday, I had walked through Boston Common and seen the simple and remarkable memorial to Massachusetts’ fallen military just installed by the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund. Yesterday I returned with my camera.
In the distance, something appears to cover the Common's usual green carpet.
Closer, the rug becomes a sea of American flags below the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. Visitors drawn to the sight stop, gaze at the flags, take photos, and chat quietly with others standing nearby. Parents keep their little kids from running into the flag field.
People and cameras are everywhere.
Flags are set between 12 and 18 inches apart, on no discernible grid.
One flag for each fallen military service person from Massachusetts.
A few signs printed on FomeCor and staked into the ground explained the memorial installation.
Deborah Howe
Taking Place 