From May 24-29, 2023, Home Base partnered with the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund to create its iconic garden of flags on Boston Common. Each of the 37,000+ flags planted at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument represents every brave Massachusetts Service Member who gave their lives defending our Nation since the Revolutionary War. The completed garden is a breathtaking tribute to the true meaning of Memorial Day and a powerful message of community support to the Families of these Fallen Heroes that their sacrifices will never be forgotten.

On Wednesday, May 24, Home Base Executive Director Brigadier General (Retired) Jack Hammond and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu spoke at the Opening Ceremony before hundreds of volunteers planted flags. The following day, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, State Treasurer and Receiver General Deborah B. Goldberg and the first-ever Secretary of the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services Jon Santiago, as well as Mayor Wu, attended the Name Reading Ceremony, where the names of all Fallen Heroes from Massachusetts since 9/11 were read aloud while a flag representing each of them was planted.

We encourage you to read through the media coverage of the event below as well as General Hammond’s Memorial Day letter to Home Base Nation.

Media Coverage:

The Memorial Day Flag Garden was covered by a variety of local media outlets, including Boston.com, Boston 25 News (FOX), The Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, WBZ-TV CBS Boston, NBC10 Boston, WCVB Channel 5 Boston (ABC), WGBH-TV (PBS)/Boston Public Radio and WHDH 7News Boston.

• https://www.boston.com/things-to-do/events/things-to-do-in-boston-memorial-day-weekend-2023/
• https://www.boston25news.com/news/its-awe-inspiring-crowds-reflect-flag-garden-boston-common-ahead-memorial-day/67aa4f74-bbbe-4a8e-b013-a42bc7997081/
• https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/its-awe-inspiring-crowds-reflect-flag-garden-boston-common-ahead-memorial-day/GUWDKDGRCNCJ3ATOCAQXIFFFN4/
• https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/05/24/metro/volunteers-plant-37000-flags-boston-common-ahead-memorial-day/
• https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/05/26/metro/see-photos-local-memorial-day-flag-displays-honor-dead-soldiers/
• https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/05/26/boston-memorial-day-weekend-37369-flags-honor-heroes/
• https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/05/28/a-face-behind-every-flag-locals-honor-fallen-soldiers-for-memorial-day/
• https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/boston-common-37000-flags-memorial-day/
• https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/volunteers-plant-37000-american-flags-boston-common-memorial-day/
• https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/memorial-day-ceremonies-remembrances-across-mass-honor-the-fallen/3055878/
• https://www.wcvb.com/article/american-flag-display-boston-common-2023-memorial-day/44008419
• https://www.wcvb.com/article/boston-common-american-flag-garden-2023-memorial-day/43993912#
• https://www.wcvb.com/article/boston-common-flag-garden-for-fallen-service-members/44031688
• https://www.wcvb.com/article/boston-common-flag-garden-mass-fallen-service-members/44007255
• https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2023/05/26/why-37-369-flags-will-wave-in-the-boston-common-this-memorial-day
• https://open.spotify.com/episode/58fDSVkXcr3OQixDbufVwJ?si=vX6ZYSfBT3-azVPDRWb6Ug&nd=1 (2:38:00)
• https://whdh.com/news/hundreds-gather-to-help-plant-boston-common-memorial-day-flag-garden/