Westford is the hometown and final resting place for over 1,300 military veterans who have so honorably served our nation. Service men and women from Westford have fought in every conflict since the birth of our country, from the Revolutionary War up to Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of them gave the last full measure of devotion on the battlefield and were laid to rest in Westford with full military honors, under flag-draped caskets with the mournful sound of “Taps” echoing through the cemetery. We are forever in their debt.

Westford honors its veterans on Memorial Day with a reading of our Honor Roll and laying wreaths at Westford Common, and by placing flags on the gravesites of our veterans with the goal of honoring every veteran in our care. Gravesite flags remain until just after Veterans Day. For the past several years volunteers have participated in the “Wreaths Across America” program in December by placing holiday wreaths on the graves of our veterans.

Ryan Cobleigh is the Veterans Services Officer (VSO) in Westford.  The Veterans Services Department serves to advocate and ensure that veterans receive the care, support, recognition and possibly financial assistance they have earned in service to their country. The department advises veterans as to the availability of federal and state benefits and other assistance to which they are entitled.  Please view the Veterans Services Department webpage for more information.

Westford has five public cemeteries (Fairview, Hillside, Pine Grove, Westlawn, and Wright) and one historic burial ground (Old Pioneer Burying Ground) supervised by the Westford Cemetery Department.  Two other cemeteries, St. Catherine of Alexandria (Pine Ridge Road) and the Russian Brotherhood Cemetery (also known as the Russian Orthodox National Cemetery, on Patten Road) are privately owned and do not fall under the management of the Westford Cemetery Department.  All of them are honored by the presence of veterans who rest within them.

The Westford Cemetery Department is in the process of creating a searchable database to help you locate the gravesite of every person buried in Westford. Until we are up and running, please see the Military Burial Index located on the Veterans Services Department webpage.  The department has also created an Honor Roll that honors Westford veterans who were killed in action or who lived in Westford for 30 years or more. The Honor Roll is read aloud on Westford Common every Memorial Day.

We also recommend browsing the website findagrave.com, where members have created thousands of memorials and photos for all Westford cemeteries.  Both the Westford Cemetery Department and the Westford Veterans Services Department are FindAGrave members; Veterans Services has also created "virtual cemeteries” that list veterans by cemetery and military conflict.

Please contact the Westford Cemetery Department or the Veterans Services Department for help in locating a veteran who was connected to Westford in any way and we will do our best to assist you.