Westford honors 1,184 local service members at Memorial Day ceremony

Dozens of residents gathered May 24 at the Old Center Fire Station for Westford's annual Memorial Day ceremony, where organizers read an honor roll listing 1,184 service members connected to Westford who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

Veterans Services Officer Colin Boddy opened the program and told the audience that remembrance for veterans is ongoing. "For veterans and families who know the feeling of loss, Memorial Day is not about the statistics of war or the headlines you see on the news...For veterans, remembrance is not something we do once a year. We carry it with us every day," Boddy said.

The Westford Police and Fire Department Honor Guards presented the flags, and the Westford Girl Scouts led the Pledge of Allegiance. Doug Wood, identified in the program as a U.S. Navy submarine veteran and VFW Post Commander, led the Chaplain's Prayer.

Select Board Clerk Noelle Donovan urged unity in her remarks, saying, "Those we honor today did not sacrifice for red states or blue states, for one party or another, or for people who agreed with them. They sacrificed for all of us." Newly elected Select Board member Elizabeth Sawyer and State Representative Jim Arciero also addressed the crowd; Arciero noted that veterans "from the greatest generation to the 9/11 generation paused to remember those lost in war," and described scouts placing wreaths on graves as part of the observance.

The ceremony combined ceremonial elements — flags, an honor roll reading and a prayer — with elected officials' remarks and community participation by local youth groups. The program continued with wreath-laying and other traditional observances.