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San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility

Santa Nella, California · VA national cemetery

Address, hours, directions and contact details: San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery.

VeteranFunerals Editorial·3 min read·May 1, 2026·Facts checked

You can look up burials at San Joaquin 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 San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery

The creation of San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery is the sixth in the state and 114th in the National Cemetery Administration.

The Romero Ranch Company donated the land for the cemetery to the Department of Veterans Affairs on February 3, 1989. Construction of the 105-acre first phase began July 15, 1990. The water-pumping station on the California Aqueduct, the last element of construction, was completed in May 1992. The first phase yielded about 15,000 gravesites and 8,000 in-ground cremation sites.

Monuments and Memorials The California Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated August 1, 1998. The memorial is a composition of 16 individual granite five-foot monoliths arranged to form a circle. These 16 granite monoliths combined contain the total names of the 2,495 Californians who gave their lives fighting in the Korean War. The memorial was sponsored by a number of veteran service organizations, individuals and corporations.

The 11th Airborne Memorial is a granite and bronze monument that was dedicated on May 11, 2002, in honor of all airborne soldiers. The sculptor was William Porteus, a member of the 511th unit.

Notable veterans buried at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery

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

  • Medal of Honor
  • 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 the eligibility criteria, medal design, and recognition on a recipients' grave marker have all evolved over time. There are 434 Medal of Honor recipients interred at VA national cemeteries including 6 double recipients.
  • Medal of Honor recipients interred or memorialized here:
  • Seaman William Troy (1871 Korean Campaign). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Navy for actions on board the USS Colorado during the capture of the Korean forts, June 11, 1871. Troy died in 1907 and is memorialized in Section M-1, Site 53.

Visiting hours at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery

Visitation Hours: Open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial 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 San Joaquin 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 San Joaquin Valley 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 San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for San Joaquin 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 San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery directly at 209-854-1040.

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 San Joaquin 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.

  1. 3.7 mi from the cemetery
  2. 13.8 mi from the cemetery
  3. 14.0 mi from the cemetery
  4. 19.9 mi from the cemetery
  5. 21.0 mi from the cemetery
  6. 21.6 mi from the cemetery

Search all funeral homes by ZIP on FuneralUS

FAQ

Questions about burial at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery

  • Is burial at San Joaquin 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 San Joaquin 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 San Joaquin 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 San Joaquin 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 San Joaquin 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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