Considering the rolling, wooded hills that cradle the Massachusetts National Cemetery, let’s step back in time. This hallowed ground wasn’t always a place of rest for our nation’s heroes. The Massachusetts National Cemetery is located in Bourne, Massachusetts. It is in Barnstable County on Cape Cod. The cemetery is approximately 65 miles southeast of Boston. It is adjacent to the Otis Air National Guard Base.
In the mid-1970s, the National Cemetery System needed to expand. They realized the largest veteran population in the northeast was near Boston. A search began for a suitable site. The challenge was finding land available to the government at no cost. Ultimately, a 749-acre tract on the 22,000-acre Otis Air Force Base was identified.
This land was leased to the Department of Defense. A portion of the lease was terminated. In 1976, the title for 749.29 acres was transferred to the VA’s National Cemetery System. This Otis tract was the first land acquired for a new national cemetery since 1949.
The Massachusetts National Cemetery was dedicated on October 11, 1980. It became the third new national cemetery to open in nearly 30 years. Initially, it was named the Veterans Administration National Cemetery of Bourne, Mass. Over time, the name was simplified to Massachusetts National Cemetery.
Today, the Massachusetts National Cemetery serves as a final resting place for over 78,000 veterans as of 2021. But it also features a memorial trail. Here, you will find memorials to veterans from World War I to the modern era. As of June 2013, there were 50 such memorials.
Among those interred here are Medal of Honor recipients. These include Hospital Corpsman Richard David DeWert. He received the medal posthumously for his heroic actions in Korea. Also buried here is Sergeant First Class Jared C. Monti. He was killed in Afghanistan. President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Monti’s family in 2009.
Melina Olive Shaw is also buried here. She was one of the “Hello Girls” who served in the U.S. Army during World War I. Private Shaw was one of eighteen living “Hello Girls” veterans honorably discharged in 1979 after 61 years. She died the following July. Shaw became the first interment at Massachusetts National Cemetery on October 14, 1980.
The Massachusetts National Cemetery is open daily from dawn to dusk. It is a place for reflection. It is a place to honor the brave men and women who served our country. Take a moment to appreciate the sacrifices made by these individuals and their families. They rest here in peace.