Boston Common covered in 37,000 flags for fallen servicemembers on Memorial Day

BOSTON - It is a display big enough to stop people walking through the Boston Common in their tracks. The memorial represents more than 37,000 servicemen and women from Massachusetts who died while defending the country since the Revolutionary War. One flag for one life. A simple installation that made a big impact on those who stopped to take it in. 

"It's very inspiring to see the lineup and to know that each flag represents each person who died," said recent college graduate Chepkorir Sambu. "I think it shows that they have not forgotten the past. They appreciate the fact that they're standing here is a product of what these people died for." 

Photographer Scott Kirkpatrick, of Cambridge, said he sees the memorial through the eyes of others. "Most of the time I react immediately to people crouching down with their phones and a kid in front, taking pictures. I must have 100 pictures of that," said Kirkpatrick. "I think, gosh, 37,000 flags fits in a pretty small area, doesn't it?" 

It is a stark reminder of the sacrifice made by the few for the good of many. It is something 10-year-old Bryce Pittet and his brother Gavin learned about all weekend. 

"It is kind of beautiful watching them all in the wind," said Bryce. "I am glad that all these people are here. I think it's important to remember the people who died for this." 

The Pittet brothers are in Scouts and spent part of their weekend walking in Memorial Day Parades and placed American flags of their own in their hometown of Newton. 

"It was nice because there were pieces of paper that went onto the flag poles, and it had the name of the person who died in the war and where they died in," said Bryce. 

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• Memorial Day
• Boston