A FACE BEHIND EVERY FLAG
Locals honor fallen soldiers for Memorial Day
Around Memorial Day, families and loved ones of fallen soldiers echoed their gratitude for this time to remember and honor those they've lost as the city celebrates the holiday.
"It's a day I get to say the name Shayne," said Jody Cabino Cipriano, who's 19-year-old son Shayne Matthew Cabino was killed in action in Iraq in 2005. "Share the memory of him. And remember so many names of other sons and daughters lost."
Following a ceremony for the families of fallen soldiers Thursday, Cipriano was one of many people out and around the stunning display of 37,369 flags — one for every Massachusetts soldier lost since the Revolutionary War — planted around the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on the Common.
With Memorial Day approaching, many reflected on the "inspiring" and "moving" nature of spending the holiday in such a historic city.
A wide range of Massachusetts natives said they'd be getting together with family and cooking out, or watching a parade in their area, or other typical holiday fare. But, most of the families and veterans added, they'd be remembering and honoring those they'd lost.
Army vet Billy Allen of Winthrop, who served in Vietnam in 1971, has come to Boston Common for six years to see the thousands of American flags on the Common.
He said his grandson liked the memorial so much last year that he wanted to come again this year. So on Wednesday, the pair traveled downtown to look at the flags.
And he said he told his grandson the flags are more than a picturesque memorial.
"This represents a life. This is a person that gave their life for this country to allow us to have what we have today and the freedom," Allen said. "Also remember every flag … there's a family behind it. The families have an effect on that. So just imagine, you know, all the people that gave their lives to have what we have today."
Over 500 volunteers from all backgrounds and areas of the state came out to set up the flags last week.
"I felt like its my duty to do that," said Army veteran and Charlestown resident Jose Reyes, planting banners in careful rows in his section of the Common on Wednesday. "It was inside of me. For respect and to honor them."
For many years, South Boston-volunteer Stephanie Orsini said as she worked alongside Reyes, she just came to remember her husband, a Marine who died in active duty.
"And now I'm here to pay back and help other people pay their respects," Orsini said. "It's a massive project to put together something like this. So I'm happy to help and redirect my grief."
Among all the volunteers working together to create something so striking and important, Reyes added, there's a kindness that's "amazing to
tures will rise into the upper 80s over the next couple of hours. #Besafeboston,” Boston EMS tweeted
Sunday afternoon.
Then on Monday, the fairly strong backdoor cold front will lead to a much cooler marine airmass to roll in off the ocean. High temps will be held in the lower to middle 60s along the coast, including Boston.
The breeze will make it feel a bit cool, especially when compared to the very warm temps on Sunday.
Temperatures should stay cool in the 60s in the Boston-area on Tuesday, followed by a warming
trend into the upper 70s on Wednesday. Then the potential for 90-degree heat arrives on Thursday and Friday.
“Best chances appear to be across CT, RI, and interior eastern MA,” the National Weather Service’s
forecast discussion reads about the 90-degree days. “Given dryness of airmass (dewpoints in 40s/50s) heat indices should fall short of Heat Advisory criteria but certainly something to keep tabs on during the week.”
It should be another dry week, with a chance for rain Friday night into Saturday when a cold front brings the next best possibility for showers or a few thunderstorms. A substantial soaking rain is unlikely.