NCA News
VA supporting nationwide Memorial May marches honoring Veterans, service members
MAY 2, 2024
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)
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.
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?
National Cemetery Administration
Attn: General Inquiries
810 Vermont Avenue
Washington, DC 20420
MyVA411 main information line:
800-698-2411