Explanation of services provided at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemeteries (MVMC).
What to expect and plan for, when scheduling a services at MVMC
SERVICE LENGTH About 15 minutes
LOCATION Non-sectarian chapel
SCHEDULE Mon–Fri, by appointment only
SPEAKER TIME One speaker, up to 7 minutes
Scheduling & Location
All committal services are conducted in the cemetery's non-sectarian chapel and run approximately 15 minutes. Services are held by appointment only, Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.
No gravesite-only or private funeral/committal service is allowed anywhere on cemetery grounds at any time.
Gravesite Access & Assignment
Only authorized individuals are permitted at the gravesite area during a burial.
Specific gravesites cannot be reserved in advance.
Burial sections are not assigned by military rank, branch of service, religion, or ethnic background.
A veteran and an eligible spouse or dependent are interred in the same plot, unless both individuals are veterans.
Not permitted during services
Calling hours, gatherings, funeral services or Masses, and other memorial ceremonies need to be held elsewhere — they cannot take place at the cemetery.
In addition, the following are not permitted:
During the service
Guest books, eulogies beyond the one designated speaker, singers, musicians, or recorded music
Posterboards, displays, or other presentations
Receiving lines
Balloon, butterfly, or other releases
On the grounds
Receptions of any kind
Food, alcohol, or smoking
Unauthorized individuals at the gravesite
Private funeral or committal services held independently
The Committal Service
An eligible spouse or dependent may also have a committal service held in the chapel.
Only one speaker is permitted — clergy arranged by next of kin, or a family member — for up to 7 minutes.
Military Honors
Available for veterans only, and follow the speaker. Honors consist of:
A 3-volley salute by the Volunteer Firing Detail, if requested and available
Taps, sounded through the cemetery's sound system
One burial flag, folded and presented by a representative of the veteran's branch of service
Military funeral honors are arranged through the funeral director.
Floral Arrangements
Up to three (3) floral pieces are allowed in the chapel for the committal service.
Glass containers may not be placed at the gravesite.
All other arrangements that meet regulations will be set at the gravesite by cemetery staff.
Burial Containers
A casket grave liner (also called a burial liner, crypt, or outer burial receptacle) is provided for every burial.
Veterans with an eligible spouse or dependent receive a double liner: the first decedent is placed on the bottom of the liner, and the second decedent is placed on a shelf above.
Cremation & Urns
Urns must be specifically designed for human remains, and 100% of the cremated remains must be presented for burial. Contact the MVMC office for specifics on allowable urns and requirements.
For in-ground burial, the urn must not deteriorate, break, or be made of wood. If a qualifying urn is one of those types, an urn vault (purchased separately) is required.
No cardboard shipping boxes are allowed.
Important:
per National Cemetery Administration policy, choosing an NCA Commemorative Urn or Plaque makes the veteran ineligible for interment at MVMC, Agawam, or Winchendon.
Columbarium Niches
Wall niches are available for above-ground placement of cremated remains.
Each niche holds 2–4 standard-size urns.
A veteran, spouse, and dependent child(ren) must be interred together in the same niche.
Next of kin is responsible for ensuring all eligible urns fit within one niche.
After the service
The Federal VA issues a Presidential Memorial Certificate to the next of kin for all veteran burials.
