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National Cemetery Administration

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Pre-Need Eligibility form.

Pre-Need Eligibility


Planning in advance for a Veteran's or loved-one's final resting place can eliminate unnecessary delays and reduce stress on a family at a difficult time.


Apply now »

A tablet, computer monitor and phone above the Nationwide Gravesite Locator URL.

Gravesite Locator


Locate resting places for Veterans and their families in national and grant-funded VA cemeteries as well as various military, Department of Interior, and private cemeteries.


Nationwide Gravesite Locator »

Three sizes of Bronze Medallions.

Memorial Benefit: Medallion


Medallions are furnished in lieu of a traditional Government headstone or grave marker for those Veterans who served on or after April 6, 1917, and whose grave in a private cemetery is marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker.


Learn more »

Image of Map from the NCA Find a Cemetery page.

Find a Cemetery


NCA's interactive map enables Veterans to search for their final resting place or for those who want to visit their Veteran interred at 155 VA managed or 122 VA grant-funded cemeteries.


Find a Cemetery »

Schedule a Burial »

Plan in Advance Gravesite Locator Memorial Benefit: Medallion Find a Cemetery
 

Memorial Day History

“That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.”
– Brevet Lieut.-Col. Edmund B. Whitman, 1868
Decoration Day postcard. (NCA History Collection)
Decoration Day postcard. (NCA History Collection)

Memorial Day, a federal holiday held the last Monday in May, is the nation's foremost annual day to mourn and honor its deceased service men and women.

Originally called Decoration Day, it was formalized by a "Memorial Day Order" issued by Grand Army of the Republic Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan in 1868.

Medal of Honor History

President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill creating 200 medals of honor in late 1861. From this came the Medal of Honor; today the highest commendation for military service. The eligibility criteria, medal design, and recognition on a recipients' grave marker have all evolved since the Civil War.

390 Medal of Honor recipients are interred in VA national cemeteries.

Left: Army Medal of Honor, early design. Center: Headstone with recognition for a Medal of Honor recipient. Right: Navy Medal of Honor; early design.Left: Army Medal of Honor, early design.
Center: Headstone with recognition for a Medal of Honor recipient.
Right: Navy Medal of Honor; early design.

NCA Resources Guide

Looking for a cemetery?
Trying to locate a grave?
Questions about burial benefits?
What happens during a committal service?

Explore the NCA Resources Guide »

Graphic for NCA Resources Guide

VLM Featured Veteran
James E. Atterberry
U.S. Coast Guard, GM1C
Purple Heart
Killed in Action
Omaha Beach, Normandy, France
Photo for Featured Veteran from the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM): James E. Atterberry, U.S. Coast Guard, GM1C, Purple Heart, Killed in Action, Omaha Beach, Normandy, France.
Memorial Page »
Resources
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National Cemetery Administration
Attn: General Inquiries
810 Vermont Avenue
Washington, DC 20420

MyVA411 main information line:
800-698-2411