Featured Government

Celebrate Memorial Day Safely by Participating Virtually

City Councilor Ed Flynn (District 2) expressed the importance of recognizing our fallen heroes on Memorial Day in the absence of the City’s usual large gatherings during the Council’s weekly meeting.

Memorial Day Flag Garden – May 2019. Photo by Gerri Palladino.

Memorial Day weekend has always been a day filled with age-old traditions from the Memorial Day Flag Garden in the Boston Common to a weekend getaway to one of Massachusetts’s many local beaches. The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted the ways in which Bostonians will celebrate the upcoming holiday with many events going virtual to honor those who gave their lives.

“This is a very solemn weekend recognizing those who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Councilor Michael Flaherty (At-Large) on Wednesday afternoon. He highlighted the importance of recognizing Gold Star Families who have had family members who died for this country.

Although most of Boston’s Memorial Day events have been canceled, the Boston Veterans Services will be safely and individually placing flags on graves in remembrance of our veterans’ sacrifices.

The Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, the organizers of the annual Flag Garden, announced that the event would be canceled this year. While the Boston Common will be missing its normal display of more than 37,000 flags placed to honor the fallen military personnel, the organization has asked for residents across the Commonwealth to participate in a “Virtual Flag Garden” by printing this flag graphic and displaying it from their windows.

The North End Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 144 will be broadcasting observances via Facebook on Monday, May 25 at 11 a.m. to honor the North End’s fallen heroes.

The USS Constitution will host a Facebook live event on May 25 honoring USS Constitution’s fallen crew members at 11:30 a.m. and will fire a salute of 21 minute-guns at noon.