33,000 Flags On Boston Common Honor State's Fallen Heroes

BOSTON (CBS) - An American flag for every fallen hero in the state of Massachusetts – 33,000 since the Civil War – now sits on Boston Common.

The display for Memorial Day weekend was the highlight of a ceremony Thursday morning to honor the 170 military members from Massachusetts killed since Sept. 11, 2001.

Army Spec. Stephen Fortunato of Beverly was one of them. He died in 2008.

"He went in as a boy and came out as a man. The Army completely changed him. He died doing what he wanted to do." his widow Sherri told WBZ-TV.

The event is sponsored by the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund. Their volunteers planted the flags and will guard them throughout the weekend.