US Government – Burial and Memorial Benefits
The information on this page was taken from information obtained from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, see: www.cem.va.gov for further information. Call 800-827-1000 or write:
Department of Veterans Affairs
National Cemetery Administration (41C2)
810 Vermont Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20420
On July 17, 1862 Congress enacted legislation that authorized President Abraham Lincoln to purchase “cemetery grounds” to be used as national cemeteries “for soldiers who shall have died in the service of the country”. Fourteen cemeteries were established that first year.
By 1870, the remains of nearly 300,000 Union dead had been buried in 73 national cemeteries. Most of the cemeteries were located in the southeast, near the battlefields and campgrounds of the Civil War.
The National Cemetery Administration has evolved slowly since the initial period of great challenge related to the Civil War. All honorably discharged veterans became eligible for burial in 1873.
In the 1930s, new national cemeteries were established to serve veterans living in major metropolitan areas such as New York, Baltimore, Minneapolis, San Diego, San Francisco and San Antonio.
In 1973, Congress transferred 82 national cemeteries from the Department of the Army to the Veterans Administration, now the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These were added to the 21 VA cemeteries at hospitals and nursing homes to comprise 103 cemeteries in what was then the National Cemetery System.
On November 11, 1998, the Veterans Programs Enhancement Act was signed, changing the name of the National Cemetery System to the National Cemetery Administration.
Today, there are a total of 140 national cemeteries. The National Cemetery Administration is responsible for 124 of them, while the National Park Service maintains 14 and the Department of the Army maintains two cemeteries – including Arlington National Cemetery.
In the midst of the largest cemetery expansion since the Civil War, VA operates 124 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico. VA’s newest cemeteries, Georgia National Cemetery and Sacramento Valley VA National Cemetery, opened in 2006. Additional cemeteries will open in West Palm Beach, Sarasota and Jacksonville, FL; Bakersfield, CA; Birmingham, AL; Philadelphia, PA; and Columbia, SC. More than three million Americans, including veterans of every war and conflict – from the Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terror – are buried in VA’s national cemeteries.
BURIAL ELIGIBILITY
Burial in a national cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces and veterans who have met minimum active service duty requirements and been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. Their spouse, minor children, and under certain conditions, dependent unmarried adult children, are also eligible for burial, even if they predecease the veteran. Members of the reserve components of the armed forces who die while on active duty or while performing training duty, or who have 20 years of service in reserve components of the armed forces, may also be eligible for burial.
BENEFITS
Burial benefits include a gravesite in any of our national cemeteries with available space, the opening and closing of the grave, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, Presidential Memorial Certificates and perpetual care of the grave at no cost to the family. VA’s Veterans Benefits Administration pays a burial and plot allowance for those veterans eligible by law. For information, please contact the nearest VA Regional Office at 800-827-1000.
ARRANGING BURIAL
The next of kin, or the family’s funeral director of choice, may make arrangements directly with a national cemetery. Before burial can take place, cemetery staff must verify the veteran’s eligibility. To enable the staff to do this, the next of kin or funeral director must provide the cemetery staff with a copy of the veteran’s service, social security or VA claim numbers to use for verification of service and character of discharge.
HEADSTONE AND MARKER PROGRAM
VA Provides headstones and markers:
- For the graves of eligible veterans in private and government cemeteries around the world.
- For eligible dependents of veterans buried in national, post or state veteran’s cemeteries.
- For niches to mark columbaria used for the inurnment of cremains.
- In a variety of styles: flat bronze, flat granite, flat marble, upright marble, upright granite and marble, granite and bronze niche covers.
- Inscribed with the name, the dates of birth and death and branch of service of the deceased.
- With an authorized emblem of belief.
- With other approved optional text inscribed at government expense if space allows.
BURIAL FLAG PROGRAM
The VA provides a U.S. flag to drape the casket of members of the armed forces and eligible members. The flag is given to the next of kin, and they may donate the flag to the cemetery’s Avenue of Flags.
NATIONWIDE GRAVESITE LOCATOR
The burial locations of veterans and their family members in VA National Cemeteries, state veterans cemeteries, various other military and Department of Interior cemeteries may now be accessed through the Nationwide Gravesite Locator. Gravesites in provate cemeteries marked with a government furnished headstone or marker since 1997 may also be located. http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/
PRESIDENTIAL MEMORIAL CERTIFICATES
A Presidential Memorial Certificate (PMC) is inscribed with the veteran’s name and bears the President’s signature to honor the memory of honorably discharged, deceased veterans. Recipients include next of kin and loved ones. Please send your written PMC request to:
Presidential Memorial Certificates
Department of Veterans Affairs
5109 Russell Road
Quantico, VA 22143-3909
Fax requests to: 202-565-8054
STATE CEMETERY GRANTS PROGRAM
VA provides assistance through the State Cemetery Grants Program for up to 100 percent of the funds needed to build, expand or improve veterans cemeteries owned and operated by the states. The program enables states to provide gravesites for veterans in areas where national cemeteries cannot fully satisfy veterans’ burial needs.
MILITARY FUNERAL HONORS
The Department of Defense (DOD) is responsible for providing military funeral honors. The DOD program, “Honoring Those Who Served,” calls for funeral directors to request military funeral honors on behalf of the veterans’ families. Veterans organizations may assist in the provision of military funeral honors. In support of this program, VA national cemetery staff may assist in coordinating military funeral honors.
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