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National Cemetery Administration

 

NCA History Program

General History

History and Development of the National Cemetery
NCA's solemn mission originates with the Civil War. Today it is responsible for 156 national cemeteries, 35 soldiers' lots and 122 VA grant-funded state, territory and tribal Veterans cemeteries in the U.S. and its territories, and the provision of headstones and other memorial benefits to qualified Veterans.

Marietta National Cemetery in Georgia.

Dates of Establishment: National Cemeteries & NCA Burial Sites
A listing of VA National Cemeteries & NCA Burial Sites and their dates established.

History of Government-Furnished Headstones and Markers
The evolution of government headstones.

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in the National Cemeteries
The affiliation among President Abraham Lincoln, his Gettysburg Address, and the national cemeteries is relevant today. The speech Lincoln gave at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Pennsylvania on November 19, 1863, is iconic.

Memorial Day History
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.

The story of NCA's Presidential Memorial Certificate
The VA Presidential Memorial Certificate was intended to be given to a Veteran's next of kin or friends. World War II Army Veteran Benjamin B. Belfer proposed the idea of a Presidential Memorial Certificate that VA could give to a Veteran's next of kin.

Leadership: Directors & Under Secretaries for Memorial Affairs, 1973 to Present
Learn about the leaders who helped shape NCA.

Landscapes of Honor & Sacrifice: The History of the National Cemeteries, 2003
A 30-minute video illustrating the rich history of the national cemeteries.

NCA History Blog

NCA historians blog about current events, cemeteries, preservation projects, headstones and monuments, Memorial Day, notable persons and much more.

Featured Blog Post

LGBTQ+ Monument in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery

Matthew Harris
Intern, National Cemetery Administration
Published on November 6, 2024

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) monuments adorn cemeteries across the United States, but only two are in national cemeteries maintained by VA. At Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Ellwood, Illinois, a four-foot-tall monument bears witness to the honorable service of LGBTQ+ Veterans. A smaller monument in the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix recognizes all persons who have served their country with "courage and pride" throughout American history. VA encourages Veterans who were issued an administrative discharge for their sexuality to apply for an upgrade to the discharge and request the VA benefits they have earned through their service. Read more »

Apply for a discharge upgrade »

Apply for Pre-Need Eligibility »

A four-foot-tall monument memorial to LGBTQ+ Veterans.Memorial to LGBTQ+ Veterans dedicated in 2015 at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Ellwood, Illinois. The inverted pink triangle symbolizes remembrance, pride, and acceptance. The triangle is flanked by the seals of the five military branches and the U.S. Merchant Marine. (VA)

Notables

NCA manages the gravesites of notables such as Medal of Honor recipients and thousands of veterans who are recognized as significant at different periods of American history.

Medal of Honor History

Unlike today, early U.S. military practice did not include awards and medals. The Civil War changed this. Americans fighting on both sides led government officials to recognize this bravery. 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 medal design, eligibility for it, and recognition on a recipients' grave marker have all evolved since the Civil War. 390 Medal of Honor recipients are interred in VA cemeteries. Learn more »

Left: Army Medal of Honor, early design. Center: Headstone with recognition for a Medal of Honor recipient. Right: Navy Medal of Honor; early design.Left: Army Medal of Honor, early design.
Center: Headstone with recognition for a Medal of Honor recipient.
Right: Navy Medal of Honor; early design.

Special Emphasis

Various stories associated with commemorative events or timely activities include the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, and enemy POWs buried in NCA cemeteries.

America in World War I: 1917–1919

World War I introduced major changes to government-provided headstones, including size and inscribed features, as well as provisions for foreign-national POWs interred in national cemeteries.

World War I Veterans and Their Federal Burial Benefits

Gravesite of John Hunter Wickersham, WWI Veteran, Medal of Honor recipient. (Photo courtesy of the American Battle Monuments Commission).Gravesite of John Hunter Wickersham, WWI Veteran, Medal of Honor recipient. (Photo courtesy of the American Battle Monuments Commission).

Outreach

NCA develops publications, teaching tools, and other educational products — including projects generated by student interns — to promote its cemeteries and the individuals buried in them who illustrate significant transitions in American history.

World War II Commemorative Series — Allied Forces and Enemy Burials in VA National Cemeteries

NCA's second publication in the series tells the little-known story of how and why members of other nation's military forces came to be buried in our national cemeteries during World War II — both our allies and enemy prisoners of war.

World War II Allied Forces and Enemies

NCA publication for World War II Allied Forces and Enemies.NCA publication for World War II Allied Forces and Enemies.

Monuments

NCA manages approximately 1,400 historic memorial monuments. Patriotic organizations formally donate an average of ten new monuments to NCA each year.

USS Bennington Monument and Grave Plot

The USS Bennington explosion was among the deadliest peacetime accidents in U.S. Navy history and claimed more lives than the Navy had lost in the nation's most recent conflict, the Spanish-American War. A granite monument was established to honor those lost in the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

Ceremony dedicating the Bennington monument at Fort Rosecrans, overlooking San Diego harbor, January 7, 1908. The cruiser USS Charleston is visible in the background right. More than 2,500 people attended the dedication. (Naval Heritage and History Command)Ceremony dedicating the Bennington monument at Fort Rosecrans, overlooking San Diego harbor, January 7, 1908. The cruiser USS Charleston is visible in the background right. More than 2,500 people attended the dedication. (Naval Heritage and History Command)

Historic Resources

NCA produces written and graphic documentation of its cemeteries and their built features, as well as the preservation of historic objects such as burial ledgers that provide essential information about the origins of the national cemetery system.

100 Years of Historic National Cemetery Burial Records

By 2012, NCA completely digitized its original burial system: hand-written ledgers from the 1860s to 1960s. Through a partnership with Ancestry.com, NCA's ledgers — along with others in the National Archives & Records Administration (NARA) collection — are available to Ancestry.com subscribers and free to visitors to NARA facilities.

National Cemetery Burial Ledgers

Partial image of NCA hand-written ledgerPartial image of NCA hand-written ledger.
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