VA National Cemeteries
Sacramento Valley National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility
Dixon, California · VA national cemetery
Address, hours, directions and contact details: Sacramento Valley National Cemetery.
You can look up burials at Sacramento Valley 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 Sacramento Valley National Cemetery
Sacramento Valley National Cemetery is the seventh national cemetery built in California and the 124th in the national cemetery system.
Like many lands in the western United States, the Homestead Act of 1862 facilitated the settlement of the site of what is now the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery. In the late 1860's, the site consisted of nine separate parcels, which were subsequently acquired by private citizens through preemption (an individual's right to settle land first and pay for it later) and homestead claims. During the 20th century, these separate parcels were gradually consolidated under one owner. The site was continuously used as farmland from the 1860's until it was purchased by the National Cemetery Administration in 2004. Crops raised on the property at the time of NCA's purchase included corn, alfalfa, beans, squash, and peppers.
The Union Pacific Railroad, formerly the Southern Pacific Railroad, and prior to that the Central Pacific Railroad, intersects the southeastern corner of the property. In May 1869, the famous golden spike was driven in Promontory Summit, Utah, to symbolically mark the completion of the "First Trans-Continental Railroad," connecting Omaha, Nebraska, to Sacramento. However, the rail network did not actually reach the Pacific Ocean until the completion of the Central Pacific Railroad, connecting San Francisco and Sacramento in November of that year.
The First Trans-Continental Railroad linked the West Coast with the existing railroad network in the eastern United States, and contributed dramatically to the economic development and population growth of California. The Southern Pacific Railroad leased the Central Pacific railroad in 1885; over time, the Southern Pacific Railroad grew into a massive railway network throughout the Western and Southwestern United Sates, stretching down from Portland, Oregon to New Orleans. The Southern Pacific Railroad was acquired by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1996.
Notable veterans buried at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery
The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, with section and site where it has them.
- Newman Camay Golden was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 12, 1919. He joined the Army Air Corps during World War II, graduated from the Tuskegee pilot training program in 1944, and served with the 99th Fighter Group in Italy. Photographer Toni Frissell recorded the Tuskegee Airmen stationed at Ramitelli in 1945. Flight Officer Golden appears in several photographs. Soon after, on March 20, during a bomber escort mission over Austria, Golden parachuted from his damaged aircraft. He was imprisoned at Moosburg until Allied forces arrived to liberate the camp. Golden then enlisted to serve in the Korean War. On October 17, 1951, 1st Lieutenant Golden's aircraft was hit, burst into flames and crashed. Golden was missing in action until March 31, 1954, when his status changed to killed in action. 1st LT Golden received the Purple Heart, and in July 2014, a memorial for him took place at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery (Section MW, Row A, Site 01-A).
- Staff Sergeant Jake Melvin Larson (World War II.) Larson (1922–2025), also known as "Papa Jake," was born in Hope, Minnesota. He lied about his age to enlist in the Minnesota National Guard in 1938, joining up before his sixteenth birthday. He served with the 34th Infantry Division during World War II and landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. Larson also fought at the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded the Bronze Star and the French Legion of Honor for his service. Larson began an unlikely second career as a TikTok creator when his granddaughter posted a video about his military service. After gaining popularity on TikTok, in 2021, he wrote The Luckiest Man in the World: Stories from the Life of Papa Jake. He now rests in Section 30, Site 339.
Visiting hours at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery
Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Open all holidays except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. 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 Sacramento Valley 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 Sacramento Valley 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 Sacramento Valley National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.
Where is the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery burial schedule?
VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Sacramento Valley 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 Sacramento Valley National Cemetery directly at 707-693-2460.
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 Sacramento Valley 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.
- Milton Carpenter Funeral HomeDixon, CA3.9 mi from the cemetery
- Vaca Hills ChapelVacaville, CA6.3 mi from the cemetery
- Oakmont Funeral and Cremation ServiceVacaville, CA7.2 mi from the cemetery
- McCune Garden ChapelVacaville, CA7.3 mi from the cemetery
- Smith Funeral HomeWinters, CA11.5 mi from the cemetery
- Neptune Society of FairfieldFairfield, CA11.6 mi from the cemetery
FAQ
Questions about burial at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery
Is burial at Sacramento Valley 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 Sacramento Valley 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 Sacramento Valley 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 Sacramento Valley 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 Sacramento Valley 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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