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VA National Cemeteries

Alabama National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility

Montevallo, Alabama · VA national cemetery

Address, hours, directions and contact details: Alabama National Cemetery.

VeteranFunerals Editorial·4 min read·May 1, 2026·Facts checked

You can look up burials at Alabama National Cemetery on VA's daily burial schedule, which lists the committal services families have agreed to publish. Veterans who were not dishonorably discharged can be buried here, and so can their spouses and some dependent children. To schedule a burial, you or the funeral director call VA's National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117.

History of Alabama National Cemetery

With the passage of the National Cemetery Expansion Act of 2003, Congress directed the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish six new national cemeteries in areas with at least 170,000 residents not currently served by burial locations for veterans, including central Alabama.

At the time NCA purchased the site of Alabama National Cemetery, the property was used for agricultural purposes. Alabama National Cemetery was formally dedicated in 2008, and opened for burials the following year. Alabama National Cemetery is the third national cemetery built in the state and the 129th in the national cemetery system. The first burials commenced on June 25, 2009.

In 2011, Alabama National Cemetery completed construction of the cemetery support facilities including the Public Information Center, main entrance with Avenue of Flags, memorial wall with flag circle, offices and maintenance facilities, columbarium, committal shelters, and memorial walkway. The design and layout received an honor award from the Alabama Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Prior to development and use as a national cemetery, the land had a long and culturally-varied history. During the Colonial period the Muskogee tribe, also known as the Creeks, lived in central Alabama. By the early 19th century, European-American encroachment led to a division within the Creek society between a partially-assimilated faction, and those that sought to return to their traditional culture and religion. Tensions culminated in the Creek War (1813–1814) which began as a tribal civil war but became intertwined with the War of 1812 when the U.S. government allied with the assimilated Creeks. The Creek War ended with the Treaty of Fort Jackson, which ceded much of the tribal territory in Georgia and Alabama to the United States.

Notable veterans buried at Alabama National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note at Alabama National Cemetery, with section and site where it has them.

  • SPC Andrew Lee Hand (Iraq, Afghanistan). Hand (1984–2010) was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade. He was one of four soldiers in his unit killed when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. (Section 8, Site 662)
  • MATT1 Johnnie Cornelius Laurie (World War II). Laurie (1916–1941) was from Bessemer, AL, where he was very active in church and school sports including basketball and high jumping. In 1940, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Laurie served on the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) and was killed while serving aboard the ship during the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941. (Section 2, Site 546)
  • LCPL Thomas Edward Rivers, Jr. (Afghanistan). Rivers (1988–2010) served with the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force. He was killed by a roadside bomb while supporting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Thomas had wanted to be a Marine since he was ten years old. (Section 8, Site 663)
  • LCPL Brian Keith Schramm (Iraq). Schramm (1982–2004) of Rochester, NY, was a 2001 graduate of Greece Olympia High School and was known by friends and family for his sense of humor and decency. He was assigned to the 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, and was killed by shrapnel in Babil Province, Iraq. (Section 6, Site 945)
  • S2 Virgil Oliver Trucks (World War II). Trucks (1917–2013) served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was also a Major League Baseball player. He was a renowned pitcher, nicknamed "Fire Trucks," and played for seventeen seasons, throwing two no-hitters in 1952. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1974 and co-authored his autobiography Throwing Heat: The Life and Times of Virgil "Fire" Trucks. (Section 1, Site 1540)

Visiting hours at Alabama National Cemetery

Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays.

Who can be buried at Alabama National Cemetery?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

  • A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
  • Opening and closing of the grave
  • A government-provided burial liner
  • A government-provided headstone or marker
  • Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Alabama National Cemetery?

  1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
  2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
  3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Alabama National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Alabama National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Alabama National Cemetery to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Alabama National Cemetery directly at 205-665-9039.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

  • Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
  • Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
  • Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Alabama law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Alabama and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Funeral homes near Alabama National Cemetery

A funeral director usually arranges the burial with the cemetery. These are the closest funeral homes by straight-line distance. Each one links to its full listing on FuneralUS, our funeral home directory.

  1. 2.9 mi from the cemetery
  2. 3.6 mi from the cemetery
  3. 5.2 mi from the cemetery
  4. 5.6 mi from the cemetery
  5. 6.4 mi from the cemetery
  6. 13.3 mi from the cemetery

Search all funeral homes by ZIP on FuneralUS

FAQ

Questions about burial at Alabama National Cemetery

  • Is burial at Alabama National Cemetery free?

    Yes, for eligible veterans, spouses and dependent children. VA provides the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, a burial liner, a headstone or marker, and perpetual care at no cost. The funeral home's services, such as transport and any service before the burial, are arranged and paid for separately.

  • Can I reserve a gravesite at Alabama National Cemetery in advance?

    No. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision before a death, but VA says the decision letter doesn't name a cemetery or gravesite, because neither can be reserved in advance.

  • How do I schedule a burial at Alabama National Cemetery?

    Fax the veteran's discharge papers to 866-900-6417 or email them to [email protected]. Then you or the funeral director call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET). National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

  • Where can I see the burial schedule for Alabama National Cemetery?

    On VA's daily burial schedule at https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/dailyburialschedule/. It covers every national cemetery, but it only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them.

  • Are military funeral honors provided at Alabama National Cemetery?

    Yes, if you ask for them. Your funeral director, a Veterans Service Organization or the cemetery staff can arrange them. At minimum, two uniformed service members fold and present the burial flag at the committal shelter, and Taps is played.

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