BOSTON (CBS) – In what has become a Memorial Day tradition at the Boston Common, thousands of flags are planted on the ground in honor of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Bernice Corpuz reports

The ground has been transformed into a sea of red, white, and blue. Thirty-three thousand flags are waving, a salute to the same number of service men and women from the Bay State area who have given their lives, spanning from the Civil War to the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The yearly event is organized yearly by the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund.

“All we ask in return is that Bay Staters remember as they see this and as Memorial Day goes on that young men and women have given and paid the ultimate price for our freedom and for our safety and that’s what we hope people remember with this,” President Steve Kerrigan said.

One hundred and fifty-nine more flags are being added this year during the ceremony on Thursday morning to commemorate the service members who have been killed since September 11, 2001.