Remembering fallen veterans at Boston Common

Volunteers on Wednesday festooned the Boston Common with thousands of US flags to honor fallen soldiers in advance of Memorial Day observances.

All told, more than 600 volunteers signed on to plant nearly 37,000 flags on the Common to honor “Massachusetts’ fallen heroes from the Civil War to present day,” according to a statement from the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, a nonprofit supporting families of military service personnel with ties to the state who have died since the 9/11 attacks.

On Thursday, Governor Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey, and Mayor Martin J. Walsh will join volunteers for a ceremony on the Common, where an additional 219 flags will be planted, the group said.

Each one of those flags will represent “a brave hero from Massachusetts who died in service to the United States since September 11, 2001,” according to the statement.

The fund said the names of the fallen will be read as the flags are placed in the ground.

“Dozens of organizations and hundreds of individuals will contribute time to the effort – including senior citizens, schools, veterans, corporate volunteers, and individual volunteers,” the statement said.

Volunteers began placing flags in Boston Common on Wednesday ahead of Memorial Day. They plan to put in nearly 37,000 flags.David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

More than 600 volunteers signed on to plant nearly 37,000 flags.David L. Ryan/Globe Staff/Globe Staff

Additional volunteers will watch over the flags throughout the weekend.David L. Ryan/Globe Staff