US Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries/Golden Gate NC

12/21/2024

Happy Holidays from
Acting USMA Ron Walters

Dear NCA Supporters,

Thank you for your ongoing support of the National Cemetery Administration and our sacred mission to honor Veterans with final resting places in national shrines and with lasting tributes. As we reflect on the holiday season and the past year, I would like to highlight some of NCA’s accomplishments in fiscal year (FY) 2024.

Our cemetery teams completed 137,000 interments and our scheduling office answered 280,000 calls. We delivered 625,000 Presidential Memorial Certificates and provided 325,000 headstones and markers for Veterans in non-VA cemeteries. We also implemented the new plaque and urn benefit, as directed by Congress.

We awarded $44.5 million for 14 grants to expand and/or improve state Veterans’ cemeteries. We now provide approximately 94% of Veterans with the option of burial in a VA national cemetery or grant-funded cemetery within 75 miles of their homes.

Major improvements to our information technology systems, along with strategic implementation of automation tools, enabled us to streamline and improve our ability to process certain pre-need eligibility determinations. This success, combined with increased proactive outreach to Veterans, resulted in NCA processing 81,000 pre-need applications in FY24 – a 47% increase from the previous year.

We added more than 500,000 individual pages to our online Veterans Legacy Memorial, increasing the total to 10.5 million. Our Veterans Legacy Grant Program provided nine grants totaling $2.5 million to help students learn about and memorialize Veterans. VLM and VLPG help us preserve the legacies of our Veterans and we continue to expand and improve these important programs.

I invite you to view a brief video highlighting some of our accomplishments in FY24.

NCA Year in Review 2024

Thank you for helping to make FY24 a successful and memorable year! I look forward to working with you throughout FY25. We started the year strong by dedicating St. Albans National Cemetery in New York City as part of our Urban Initiative. We now have 156 national cemeteries serving as the final resting places for 5.4 million Veterans and family members.

I hope you enjoy time with family and friends over the holidays.

Season’s Greetings!

Ron's signature
Ronald E. Walters, Acting Undersecretary for Memorial Affairs

12/20/2019

We are a group that coordinates fund raising events and seeks corporate sponsorships for the Wreath Across America ceremonies at the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California. Wreaths Across America Day is the second Saturday in December.

12/20/2019

https://www.facebook.com/NBCBayArea/videos/10154010945861990/

11/09/2019

05/26/2019

Memorial Day weekend luminaria at Fredericksburg National Cemetery in Virginia. Very cool...

05/25/2019

As you and your family prepare to celebrate Memorial Day, I hope you remember the true meaning behind the day. Memorial Day is the day that we’ve set aside to pay tribute to our heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms and all those who have served our Nation.

05/19/2019

05/12/2019

Many Americans do tend to confuse these observances...

It's Military Appreciation Month - do you know the meaning behind each of these observed days?

04/23/2019

Be their witness. It means taking care, keeping the watch, sharing their stories, protecting their memory and saying their names.

03/28/2019

Today we recognize, celebrate and honor our country's Medal of Honor recipients. Throughout history, 3,522 Medals of Honor have been awarded to recognize U.S. military service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. Throughout the day we will be sharing stories, highlights and remembrances of Medal of Honor recipients.

Thank a Medal of Honor recipient today!