National Cemetery Administration
Los Angeles National Cemetery
950 S Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Phone: 310-268-4675
FAX: 310-268-3257
Kiosk: Yes
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Visitation Hours: Open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Open Memorial Day from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
As of October 2019, Los Angeles National Cemetery has a new columbarium that is open for cremation interments. This new columbarium is located on Constitution Ave. on the west side of I-405 just 100 yards from the main entrance to the cemetery. The majority of the cemetery—the portion located east of I-405—remains closed to first interments but is open for subsequent interments. That is to say, if a Veteran or spouse is already interred there, the cemetery can accommodate casket burials for Veterans and eligible family members joining their loved one in an existing gravesite.
On rare occasions, burial space in the portion of the cemetery east of I-405 may become available due to disinterment from an existing gravesite or for other reasons. If burial space is available at the time of request, the cemetery will assign such gravesites to eligible Veterans or family members. Since there is no way to know in advance when a gravesite may become available, please contact the cemetery at the time of need to inquire whether space is available.
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.
Cemetery is located near the Western section of Los Angeles. From Los Angeles International Airport, take Century Blvd. 1.5 miles to I-405 North. Travel 7.5 miles to the Wilshire West exit, then travel about 200 feet to Sepulveda Blvd. Turn North on Sepulveda and continue about .5 mile to cemetery entrance.
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.
On October 5, 2019, the Department of Veterans Affairs dedicated a columbarium expansion at Los Angeles National Cemetery.
The columbarium expansion at Los Angeles National Cemetery is the first project under NCA's Urban Initiative to open. The Urban Initiative improves access to burial benefits in certain densely populated areas to better serve Veterans, their spouses and families.
In 1997, the Los Angeles National Cemetery established a Rose Garden Ossuary for scattering of cremated remains.
Guidelines for Motion Pictures/Student Filming
Due to the cemetery's proximity to the film industry, several requests for filming and photography are received each year. The location manager/student must contact the cemetery prior to any filming. All filming requests should be directed to the Los Angeles National Cemetery Director. A location permit is required prior to any filming or photographs being taken.
To obtain a location permit, the following is required:
1. Approved application
2. The script
3. A narrative description of all photo shoots
4. Insurance certificates
For educational materials and additional information on this cemetery, please visit the Education section, located below.
Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.
Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.
Artificial flowers and potted plants will be permitted on graves during periods when their presence will not interfere with grounds maintenance. As a general rule, artificial flowers and potted plants will be allowed on graves for a period extending 10 days before through 10 days after Easter Sunday and Memorial Day.
Christmas wreaths, grave blankets and other seasonal adornments may be placed on graves from December 1 through January 20. They may not be secured to headstones or markers.
Permanent plantings, statues, vigil lights, breakable objects and similar items are not permitted on the graves. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not permit adornments that are considered offensive, inconsistent with the dignity of the cemetery or considered hazardous to cemetery personnel. For example, items incorporating beads or wires may become entangled in mowers or other equipment and cause injury.
Permanent items removed from graves will be placed in an inconspicuous holding area for one month prior to disposal. Decorative items removed from graves remain the property of the donor but are under the custodianship of the cemetery. If not retrieved by the donor, they are then governed by the rules for disposal of federal property.
VA regulations 38 CFR 1.218 prohibit the carrying of firearms (either openly or concealed), explosives or other dangerous or deadly weapons while on VA property, except for official purposes, such as military funeral honors.
Possession of firearms on any property under the charge and control of VA is prohibited. Offenders may be subject to a fine, removal from the premises, or arrest.
The Los Angeles National Cemetery, located across from what is now the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, has grown to more than 127 acres since its late 19th century origins. The first interment dates to a few days prior to the May 22, 1889 dedication of the cemetery. In 1973, the cemetery was transferred from the then-Veterans Administration Medical Center to what was then the National Cemetery System.
The Los Angeles National Cemetery opened as one of 11 facilities operated by the Veterans Administration, on lands shared with national veterans' homes or asylums for disabled soldiers. The Pacific Branch of the National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers was established in 1887 on Santa Monica ranch lands donated by Senator John P. Jones and Arcadia B. de Baker. The following year, the site grew by an additional 200 acres; in 1890, 20 more acres were appended for use as a veterans' cemetery. By this time, with more than 1,000 veterans in residence, a new hospital was erected in 1900. It was replaced in 1927 by Wadsworth Hospital, and a second facility, Brentwood Hospital, was also constructed in the 1920s.
Some of the cemetery's features are unique, including an administration building and adjoining Bob Hope Memorial Chapel (built in 1939–1940) and the NCA's only indoor columbarium, which was built in 1940–1941. These buildings were constructed by the Works Progress Administration in a distinctive Spanish Revival style of stucco and tile. The original gatehouse and entrance gates have been removed.
There are two canine burials at Los Angeles National Cemetery, although this practice is prohibited today. Old Bonus, an adopted pet of residents in the Soldiers' home; and Blackout, a war dog wounded in the Pacific during World War II, are both buried here.
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Recipients receive the Medal of Honor from the President on behalf of Congress. It was first awarded during the Civil War and the eligibility criteria, medal design, and recognition on a recipients' grave marker have all evolved over time. There are 390 Medal of Honor recipients interred in VA national cemeteries.
» Medal of Honor recipients buried or memorialized here:
Sergeant First Class Chris Carr (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company L, 337th Infantry, 85th Infantry Division, for actions near Guignola, Italy, October 1–2, 1944. His citation was awarded under his given name, Christos H. Karaberis; he changed his name to Carr sometime later. Carr died in 1970 and is buried in Section 275, Row G, Site 15.
Sergeant George H. Eldridge (Indian Wars). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company C, 6th U.S. Calvary, for actions at the Wichita River, Texas, July 12, 1870. Eldridge died in 1918 and is buried in Section 37, Row B, Site 1.
Sergeant Harry Harvey (Philippine Insurrection). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for actions at Benictican, Philippine Islands, February 16, 1900. Harvey died in 1929 and is buried in Section 60, Row E, Site 4.
Sergeant Luther Kaltenbach (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company F, 12th Iowa Infantry, for actions at Nashville, TN, December 16, 1864. Kaltenbach died in 1922 and is buried in Section 43, Row A, Site 15.
Landsman William F. Lukes (1871 Korean Campaign). Lukes received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U. S. Navy, Company D, for actions during the capture of the Korean forts, June 9–10, 1871. Lukes died in 1923 and is buried in Section 7, Row F, Site 19.
Color Sergeant George McKee (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company D, 89th New York Infantry, for actions at Petersburg, VA, April 2, 1865. McKee died in 1892 and is buried in Section 1, Row G, Site 2.
First Sergeant James McNally (Indian Wars). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company E, 8th U.S. Cavalry, for actions in vicinity of the Black Mountains, Arizona Territory, 1868 and 1869. McNally died in 1904, and is buried in Section 10, Row L, Site 10.
Sergeant Edward Murphy (Indian Wars). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company G, 1st U.S. Calvary, for actions in the Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona Territory, October 20, 1869. Murphy died in 1924 and is buried in Section 44, Row 1, Site 22.
First Sergeant Edwin Phoenix (Indian Wars). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company E, 4th U.S. Calvary, for actions near Red River, Texas, September 26–28, 1874. Phoenix died in 1932 and is buried in Section 67, Row H, Site 22.
Farrier Samuel Porter (Indian Wars). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company L, 6th U.S. Calvary, for actions at the Wichita River, Texas, July 12, 1870. Porter died in 1920 and is buried in Section 40, Row E, Site 6.
Private Charles W. Rundle (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company A, 116th Illinois Infantry, for actions at Vicksburg, MS, May 22, 1863. Rundle died in 1924 and is buried in Section 34, Row 1, Site 11.
Wagoner Griffin Seward (Indian Wars). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company G, 8th U.S. Calvary, for actions in the Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona Territory, October 20, 1869. Seward died in 1908 and is buried in Section 15, Row D, Site 10.
Coxswain Timothy Sullivan (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Navy, on board the USS Louisville during the engagements of the vessel. Sullivan died in 1910 and is buried in Section 18, Row H, Site 2.
Corporal James Sweeney (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company A, 1st Vermont Cavalry, for actions at Cedar Creek, Virginia, October 19, 1864. Sweeney died in 1931 and is buried in Section 78, Row P, Site 3.
Private Robert H. Von Schlick (Boxer Rebellion). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company C, 9th U.S. Infantry, for actions at Tientsin, China, July 13, 1900. Von Schlick died in 1941 and is buried in Section 81, Row G, Site 20.
Other Burials
Over 100 Buffalo Soldiers are interred at the Los Angeles National Cemetery. These African American soldiers were members of the 9th, 10th, 24th, and 25th Cavalry during the Civil War.
Nicholas P. Earp father of Wyatt Earp (Section 13, Site 18).
War Dog "Bonus" buried with handler, Charles E. Temple - Ensign USNR (Section 101, Row A, Site 1).
Lloyd C. Stearman studied engineering and architecture at Kansas State University in 1917–1918, before enlisting in the U.S. Navy Reserve Flying Corps. He served from August 1918 through the end of World War I. Aviation Chief Rigger Stearman continued his career as a mechanic and pilot, exploring innovation in aeronautical design. By 1924, he was the chief engineer for Swallow Airplane Co. and, in 1927, formed his own aircraft manufacturing company. Between the wars, Boeing Co. acquired Stearman's business and with it, the popular Model 75 military trainer. This biplane, known as the "Stearman trainer," took on greater importance with World War II and its use by the U.S. Army Air Corps and Navy. Stearman remained an industry leader and innovator until 1967 when he retired from Lockheed Aircraft Co. He died April 3, 1975 (Section 130, Row F, Site 2).
War Dog "Blackout" buried with handler, George Lewis Osheir, Cook U.S. Navy/Sergeant U.S. Marine Corps (Section 99, Row A, Site 2).
More than half of VA's national cemeteries originated with the Civil War and many are closed to some burials. Other sites were established to serve World War veterans and they continue to expand. Historic themes related with NCA's cemeteries and soldiers' lots vary, but visitors should understand "Why is it here?" NCA began by installing interpretive signs, or waysides, at more than 100 properties to observe the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011–2015). Please follow the links below to see the interpretive signs for Los Angeles National Cemetery.
Visit the Veterans Legacy Program and NCA History Program for additional information. Thank you for your interest.
