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National Cemetery Administration

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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 »

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.


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 156 VA managed or 122 VA grant-funded cemeteries.


Find a Cemetery »

Schedule a Burial »

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 »

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.


 

Veterans from Apollo 1 space mission

“If we die, we want people to accept it. We're in a risky business, and we hope that if anything happens to us it will not delay the program. The conquest of space is worth the risk of life.”
– Virgil "Gus" Grissom from “Gemini: A Personal Account of Man's Venture Into Space.” Book by Virgil "Gus" Grissom, 1968.

Apollo 1 was set to be the first manned spacecraft when a catastrophic fire occurred during a launch pad test at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Apollo 1 astronauts died on January 27, 1967:

  • Virgil I. Grissom (Second American to fly in space twice; Distinguished Flying Cross)
  • Edward H. White II (First American to walk in space)
  • Roger B. Chaffee (Youngest American astronaut selected for a mission)
Virgil I. Grissom
U.S. Air Force
LT COL

Virgil I. Grissom, U.S. Air Force, LT COL.
Edward H. White II
U.S. Air Force
LT COL

Edward H. White II, U.S. Air Force, LT COL.
Roger B. Chaffee
U.S. Navy
LCDR

Roger B. Chaffee, U.S. Navy, LCDR.

The tragic loss of life and extensive review of the accident drove the following spacecraft engineering and safety improvements that may have reduced the likelihood of future disasters in space missions and may have contributed to the United States safely reaching and returning from the Moon:

  • Redesigned inner hatch for quick opening
  • Flame-resistant spacesuits
  • Flame-resistant materials to wrap wires
  • Flammable materials removed or replaced
Green Burial: Return to nature. Rest in green. Eco-friendly farewell. Sow seeds of life. (Shutterstock.com)

VA Creates Green Burials at Three National Cemeteries

Richelle Taylor
Public Affairs Specialist, NCA
Published: November 26, 2024

In November 2024, the VA National Cemetery Administration (NCA) officially opened Green Burial sections at the Pikes Peak National Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado; the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix, Arizona, and Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. The number of green burial sites at each cemetery are 152, 155, and 222, respectively.

Green burials are a way of caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact that aids in the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat.

Get information about VA burial benefits or call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office (NCSO) toll-free at 800-535-1117 for more information about scheduling a burial. For advance burial planning for you and your family, visit NCA's pre-need eligibility website.

 


In 2014, NCA conducted a nationwide survey of Veterans to determine an interest in burial and memorial options not then offered in national cemeteries. Forty-one percent of respondents agreed that the VA should offer an environmentally friendly burial option, including 48% of Veteran respondents between the ages of 18 and 39. In addition, 75% of Veterans interviewed agreed that burial in a defined, naturalistic section in a national cemetery would be acceptable and dignified.

In 2022, Congress authorized the VA to establish green burial sections through the National Cemeteries Preservation and Protection Act. The law provides that remains interred in a green burial section must be prepared for burial in a manner that does not involve chemicals or embalming fluids, and require the use of non-toxic and biodegradable materials, such as caskets, shrouds and urns.

"NCA is pleased to begin offering this new option to Veterans and their family members eligible for interment in a VA national cemetery," said Ronald E. Walters, VA's Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs. "It reflects our commitment to understand and address the emerging burial preferences of Veterans and their loved ones."

NCA will accept both cremated and intact remains for interment in green burial sections. While green burial sections are new, NCA has always accepted remains that are prepared naturally and/or presented in a biodegradable container for burial in VA national cemeteries and will continue to do so at its open cemeteries even if they are not one of the three pilot sites.

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 Veterans
Thomas R. Hawkins
U.S. Army, SGT MAJ
Medal of Honor
Photo for Featured Veteran from the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM): Thomas R. Hawkins, U.S. Army, SGT MAJ, Medal of Honor.
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National Cemetery Administration
Attn: General Inquiries
810 Vermont Ave
Washington, DC 20420

MyVA411 main information line:
800-698-2411