In time for Memorial Day 2020, VA’s National Cemetery Administration (NCA) has enhanced capabilities on the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM) website for family, friends, and visitors to leave tributes or comments on a Veteran’s memorial page. The Veterans Legacy Memorial website is the nation’s first digital platform dedicated entirely to the memory of the 3.7 million Veterans interred in VA national cemeteries.

FIND YOUR LOVED ONE

“Online memorialization becomes more prominent these days, allowing people to remotely honor the service and sacrifice of our Veterans,” said Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy Reeves. “The increased capabilities of VLM are in place at a critical time to ensure ‘No Veteran Ever Dies,’ by telling their stories to a larger audience through an enhanced digital platform. In addition, VLM allows people to express their appreciation and gratitude for the dedicated service of our Nation’s heroes.”

After creating an account on the website, visitors can leave a “tribute” to a Veteran who is meaningful to them, pick from an auto-generated list at the bottom of the page, or conduct a search based on any of the following: name, service branch, war period, or cemetery.

Tributes can be made in three ways:

• As a direct entry on a Veteran’s page
• As a reply to someone else’s tribute on a Veteran’s page
• As a direct entry to a memento or photos on a Veteran’s page

Once a tribute is reviewed and posted, visitors can share their post to social media (Facebook, Twitter) by clicking one of the share buttons in the upper right of the Veteran’s page. Visitors can also “like” a comment or image by pressing a small heart-shaped button.

Search for your loved one and leave a tribute.

All tributes are reviewed by Veterans Legacy Memorial administrators before being posted to the site to ensure decency consistent with the dignity and decorum of a VA national cemetery.

Veterans Legacy Memorial currently contains information on the 3.7 million Veterans in national cemeteries managed by VA’s National Cemetery Administration (NCA). VLM does not currently include Veterans in Army cemeteries (including Arlington National Cemetery), cemeteries managed by other the military departments, the National Park Service, the American Battle Monuments Commission, tribal cemeteries, state/territory cemeteries, or private cemeteries. In the future, NCA hopes to include Veterans memorialized at these other cemeteries.

More NCA Information

VA operates 142 national cemeteries and 33 soldiers’ lots and monument sites in 41 states and Puerto Rico. For Veterans not buried in a VA national cemetery, VA provides headstones, markers or medallions to commemorate their service. Information on VA burial benefits is available from local VA national cemetery offices, online at https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/ or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 800-827-1000. To make burial arrangements at any open VA national cemetery at the time of need, call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117. Download the Apply for Burial in a VA National Cemetery and for Memorial Products ‘Quick Start Guide’ at https://www.va.gov/welcome-kit/.

Note: story updated with information on other cemeteries.