National Cemetery Administration

Visitation Hours: Open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time and 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Veterans Day 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This cemetery has space available to accommodate casketed and cremated remains.

Burial in a national cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces who have met a minimum active duty service requirement and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

A Veteran's spouse, widow or widower, minor dependent children, and under certain conditions, unmarried adult children with disabilities may also be eligible for burial. Eligible spouses and children may be buried even if they predecease the Veteran.

Members of the reserve components of the armed forces who die while on active duty or who die while on training duty, or were eligible for retired pay, may also be eligible for burial.

» Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery

Fax all discharge documentation to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-866-900-6417 and follow-up with a phone call to 1-800-535-1117.

For information on scheduled burials in our national cemeteries, please go to the Daily Burial Schedule.

Rules of conduct: Picnicking, jogging, other recreational activities and the cutting or removal of cemetery plantings and shrubbery are prohibited. All pets are prohibited outside of vehicles. Unattended vehicles should be locked. Purses and valuables should be stored out of sight.

Military Funeral Honors
A contingent of the Oregon National Guard is currently assigned to the cemetery to perform full military honors on a first-assigned, first-served basis. Honor guards from local reserve components, veterans service and other organizations may be secured when the Oregon Honor Guard has been previously assigned or when requested by the next of kin.

For educational materials and additional information on this cemetery, please visit the Education section, located below.

Fresh flowers may be placed on gravesites at any time. Vases are available for use in vase containers throughout the cemetery.

Artificial flowers may be placed on gravesites between November 1st to March 1st, and 5 calendar days before and after Memorial Day.

Wreaths and grave blankets (no larger than 2 ft. by 3 ft. in size) are authorized between December 1st and January 20th.

The placement of gravesite American or military service flags is authorized — but is discouraged. Although placed with the utmost respect and best intentions, these small flag displays tend to be quickly impacted by the elements (blown away, tipped over, quickly faded, etc.), resulting in an unintended outcome. If used, please ensure all gravesite flags are planted to a sufficient depth to avoid an unsightly appearance.

To preserve the appearance of the national cemetery and ensure the safety for visitors and staff — in accordance with National Cemetery Administration policy — the following items are prohibited and will be removed immediately:

• Non-government provided vases such as glass vases/containers, pots, planters, and in-ground plantings.
• Balloons, pinwheels, windchimes, birdhouses, vigil lights or candles, ornaments, statues, stuffed animals, or other similar items.
• Unsafe or offensive items deemed inconsistent with the cemetery setting including — but not limited to — explosive items, alcoholic products, tobacco products, any food or drink, and all other similar items.
• Items affixed to headstones or columbarium niche covers are subject to immediate removal and disposal.

During the mowing season flowers and other items are removed from burial sections on a rotating basis. Visitors are encouraged to place fresh flowers well in advance of the pick-up days noted below. Families wishing to preserve artificial arrangements during the mowing season are asked to remove them prior to the scheduled mowing day. Unsightly flowers are subject to removal and disposal at any time.

Weather and grounds conditions permitting, cemetery sections will be cleared of all flowers and mowed on the following days:

• Monday: Sections A, H, K, L, M, N, O, P, MN
• Tuesday: Sections B, C, D, E, F, G, U, V, W, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15; Columbaria 7–9
• Wednesday: Sections Q, R, S, T, X, Y, Z, AA, BB, MA, MB, MD
• Thursday: Sections 4, CC, GG, HH, MC; Columbaria 1–6
• Friday: Sections 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, DD, EE, FF, JJ, KK, LL, MM

Willamette National Cemetery is located about 10 miles southeast of Portland, OR, straddling the Multnomah and Clackamas County lines. As the result of lobbying efforts by several veterans' organizations, Congress passed Public Law 388 authorizing the Secretary of War to establish a national cemetery in the Portland vicinity in 1941. Although President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the bill into law, he felt that funds for the purchase of land should be limited to defense needs. As a result, no appropriation was made to build the cemetery.

At the conclusion of World War II, regional authorities again began urging the development of a national cemetery in Oregon. In 1949, the state donated approximately 102 acres and subsequent donations in 1952 brought the total land area to a little over 201 acres. Construction work started in 1950, and the area was officially designated Willamette National Cemetery on December 14, 1950. The first burial occurred in 1951.

An additional 68 acres were dedicated in 1997 and include additional burial sections and columbaria. The latest addition to the cemetery was the 2011 purchase of 38 adjacent acres that are held for future development.

Monuments and Memorials
Willamette National Cemetery is home to the Oregon Korean Veterans Memorial. This series of polished, black granite walls memorializes 283 Oregon servicemen and women who lost their lives in that conflict. Willamette National Cemetery is designated a Blue Star Memorial Highway site.

The American Veterans (AMVETS) donated a carillon to the cemetery in 1975.