National Cemetery Administration

Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Office Hours at Billings VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays.

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.

Yellowstone National Cemetery was transferred from Yellowstone County Veterans Cemetery to the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Cemetery Administration on Memorial Day, May 26, 2014. Yellowstone National Cemetery is operated under a cemetery operations contract with oversight by Fort Logan National Cemetery, located in Denver, CO. An NCA employee operates out of the Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Billings, MT to assist families during the committal service and serves as a representative for all families' and funeral home director needs. The staff at the cemetery are especially aware of the many and varied sacrifices made by our Nation's service men, women and their families. We are committed to maintaining our grounds in a manner reflecting the honor that is due. We will make every effort to demonstrate sensitivity to those who have suffered a loss. It is our practice to accommodate the needs of each family.

Military Funeral Honors
Although Yellowstone National Cemetery does not have an honor guard, there are several honor guards in the area that provide military funeral honors for families. Please call a funeral director for availability.

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

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Fresh 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, holiday decorations and potted plants will be allowed on graves for a period extending 10 days before through 10 days after Easter Sunday. Memorial Day floral decorations may be placed the Friday prior to Memorial Day and must be removed by the Sunday following Memorial Day. Artificial flowers are allowed on graves starting the 2nd Saturday in October and must be removed by the 2nd Sunday in April.

Holiday wreaths, 18" in diameter, may be placed on graves from Thanksgiving through January 15. Grave blankets of any size are not permitted. Because of the high winds we frequently experience, we provide plastic ties and laminated flower tags, in the front foyer, to secure to the floral arrangements in case the flowers are blown off the gravesites. 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.

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