VA National Cemeteries
Louisiana National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility
Zachary, Louisiana · VA national cemetery
Address, hours, directions and contact details: Louisiana National Cemetery.
You can look up burials at Louisiana 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 Louisiana National Cemetery
Louisiana National Cemetery is located in East Baton Rouge Parish approximately six miles from Zachary, LA, and less than two miles from Port Hudson National Cemetery. Opened in 2012, it is an expansion of the latter Civil War-era national cemetery, which closed the same year.
More than five nations in the last 300 years have claimed the land occupied by Louisiana National Cemetery. French explorers first set foot East Baton Rough Parish in 1699 and recorded activities of the Bayou Goula and Houma Indian tribes. Several other American tribes, the Choctaw, Chitimacha, Coushatta, and Quapaw, lived there until the U.S. government forcibly removed them, per the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
The French constructed an outpost in 1718 near present-day Baton Rouge to protect northbound traders heading home after selling their goods in New Orleans. At the end of the French and Indian War, the 1763 Treaty of Paris transferred this territory to English ownership. The British Army occupied Baton Rouge during the American Revolution.
Spain declared war on England in 1779. Marching north from New Orleans, Spanish forces captured Baton Rouge and defeated the English at Fort Butte, just west of the city. The Spanish were the third European nation to hold Baton Rouge and the surrounding territory. By 1781, lands from Louisiana to west Florida were under Spanish control. Spain ceded much of its North American holdings to France in 1802; France, in turn, in 1803 sold it to the United States as the Louisiana Purchase. However, the area between southern Louisiana and Florida remained contentious for a few more years. In 1810, local settlers overthrew the Spanish who remained in control, and declared independence as the West Florida Republic. Louisiana annexed the territory a few months later. East Baton Rouge Parish was created during the annexation to Louisiana.
Visiting hours at Louisiana 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 except Memorial Day 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. VA will continue its practice of honoring special requests for weekend burials for religious purposes, in cases of service members killed in action and on at least one day of any three-day Federal holiday weekend at all open VA national cemeteries.
Who can be buried at Louisiana 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 Louisiana National Cemetery?
- 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).
- 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.
- You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Louisiana National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.
Where is the Louisiana National Cemetery burial schedule?
VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Louisiana 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 Louisiana National Cemetery directly at 225-654-1988.
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 Louisiana law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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.
- Charlet Funeral HomeZachary, LA5.6 mi from the cemetery
- Miller & Daughter MortuaryZachary, LA6.2 mi from the cemetery
- Hall Davis & Sons Funeral Service, LLCBaton Rouge, LA7.5 mi from the cemetery
- Baker Funeral HomeBaker, LA8.5 mi from the cemetery
- Hall Davis & Son Funeral ServicePort Allen, LA8.8 mi from the cemetery
- Scott's Bluff Morticians, LLCBaton Rouge, LA9.2 mi from the cemetery
FAQ
Questions about burial at Louisiana National Cemetery
Is burial at Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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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