Woodlawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Woodlawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot is a VA national cemetery in Ayer, Massachusetts. VA lists it as closed to new burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Woodlawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

The soldiers' lot is located in Ayer, Massachusetts, in Section 1, lots 193, 203, 206, and 211, of Woodlawn Cemetery. The federal government purchased the lots from Woodlawn Cemetery in 1918. Most of the 52 men interred in the soldiers' lot died at Fort Devens, which is located nearby. The last interment was made in 1931. All of the interments in the soldiers' lot are known.

Camp Devens was established in 1917 as part of the World War I mobilization effort. It was named after Major General Charles Devens, a Civil War veteran and Attorney General in the administration of Rutherford B. Hayes. Over the course of World War I, more than 100,000 troops came through the gates of Camp Devens. In 1931, the installation was renamed Fort Devens, and it continued to serve as a post for active duty soldiers until 1996, when it transitioned into an Army Reserve training center.

Directions

Woodlawn Cemetery is located on Harvard Road near Willard Street. Head west on Route 2 and take Route 110 - 111 exit. The cemetery will be on the left; the soldiers' lot is located in the back of the cemetery.

Flowers and grounds rules

Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing. Water will be available at outside faucets from April 15 to October 10.

Who can be buried at Woodlawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

• A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A government-provided burial liner
• A government-provided headstone or marker
• Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Woodlawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot?

1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Woodlawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Woodlawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Woodlawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Woodlawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Woodlawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot directly at 508-563-7113.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

• Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
• Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
• Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Massachusetts law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Massachusetts and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Woodlawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, by straight-line distance:

• Fort Devens Post Cemetery, Devens, MA: 3 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Massachusetts State Veterans Cemetery - Winchendon, Winchendon, MA: 24 mi, open for burials
• Prospect Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, Brattleboro, VT: 54 mi, closed to new in-ground burials