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Riverside National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility

Riverside, California · VA national cemetery

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

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

You can look up burials at Riverside 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 Riverside National Cemetery

Riverside National Cemetery is the largest and busiest cemetery managed by the National Cemetery Administration. It was established in 1976 through the transfer of 740 acres from March Air Force Base, which during World War II was called the U.S. Army's Camp William G. Haan. The cemetery was dedicated and opened for burials November 11, 1978. An additional 181 acres was transferred by the Air Force in 2003.

The dramatic, meandering landscape features a central boulevard with memorial circles, lakes, indigenous-styled committal shelters, and a memorial amphitheater.

Monuments and Memorials Riverside National cemetery is home of the Medal of Honor Memorial and one of four sites recognized as a National Medal of Honor Memorial Site. The Medal of Honor Memorial, whose walls feature the names of all medal recipients, is located at the third traffic circle in the cemetery. It was dedicated in 1999.

The Fallen Soldier/Veterans' Memorial, erected in 2000, is dedicated to all service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. The dramatic bronze structure topped by a lifeless soldier is located near the lake at the entrance to the cemetery.

Notable veterans buried at Riverside National Cemetery

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

  • Medal of Honor Recipients 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 eligibility criteria for the Medal of Honor have changed over time.
  • Recipients buried or memorialized here:
  • Commander John H. Balch (World War I). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Navy, 6th Regiment, U.S. Marines, for actions at Vierzy, France, on July 19, 1918, and at Somme-Py, France, on October 5, 1918. Balch died in 1980 and is buried in Section 2, Site 1925.
  • Second Lieutenant Walter D. Ehlers (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, for actions near Goville, France, June 9–10, 1944. Ehlers died in 2014 and is buried in Section 20A, Site 644.
  • Colonel Lewis L. Millett (Korea). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company E, 27th Infantry Regiment, for actions in the vicinity of Soam-Ni, Korea, February 7, 1951. Millett died in 2009 and is buried in Section 2, Site 1910.
  • Colonel Mitchell Paige (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, 1st Marine Division, for actions in the Solomon Islands, October 26, 1942. Paige died in 2003 and is buried in Section 20A, Site 533.
  • Staff Sergeant Ysmael Roger Villegas (World War II). Ysmael Roger Villegas, native of California, enlisted in the U.S. Army on July 11, 1944, and served in Company F, 127th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Division. On March 20, 1945, in Luzon, Philippine Islands, Staff Sergeant Villegas charged the entrenched enemy, eliminated five fox holes, and was killed in action. Posthumously, he received the Medal of Honor on October 19, 1945. He is buried in Section 5, Site 1178.
  • Other Burials Robert Edward Badham, Lt. j.g., U.S. Navy. U.S. Congressman from California. Served in California assembly, 1963–1976; U.S. House of Representatives 1977–1989 (Section 16, Site 914A).

Visiting hours at Riverside National Cemetery

Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Office is closed Federal Holidays except Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Open 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. NCA will assess adding other options and national cemeteries in the future.

Who can be buried at Riverside 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 Riverside 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 Riverside National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Riverside National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Riverside 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 Riverside National Cemetery directly at 951-653-8417.

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 California law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in California 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 Riverside 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. 3.1 mi from the cemetery
  2. 3.9 mi from the cemetery
  3. 5.8 mi from the cemetery
  4. 6.0 mi from the cemetery
  5. 7.7 mi from the cemetery
  6. 7.8 mi from the cemetery

Search all funeral homes by ZIP on FuneralUS

FAQ

Questions about burial at Riverside National Cemetery

  • Is burial at Riverside 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 Riverside 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 Riverside 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 Riverside 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 Riverside 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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