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Willamette National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility

Portland, Oregon · VA national cemetery

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

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

You can look up burials at Willamette 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 Willamette National Cemetery

Willamette National Cemetery is located about 10 miles southeast of Portland, OR, straddling the Multnomah and Clackamas County lines. As the result of lobbying efforts by several veterans' organizations, Congress passed Public Law 388 authorizing the Secretary of War to establish a national cemetery in the Portland vicinity in 1941. Although President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the bill into law, he felt that funds for the purchase of land should be limited to defense needs. As a result, no appropriation was made to build the cemetery.

At the conclusion of World War II, regional authorities again began urging the development of a national cemetery in Oregon. In 1949, the state donated approximately 102 acres and subsequent donations in 1952 brought the total land area to a little over 201 acres. Construction work started in 1950, and the area was officially designated Willamette National Cemetery on December 14, 1950. The first burial occurred in 1951.

An additional 68 acres were dedicated in 1997 and include additional burial sections and columbaria. The latest addition to the cemetery was the 2011 purchase of 38 adjacent acres that are held for future development.

Monuments and Memorials Willamette National Cemetery is home to the Oregon Korean Veterans Memorial. This series of polished, black granite walls memorializes 283 Oregon servicemen and women who lost their lives in that conflict. Willamette National Cemetery is designated a Blue Star Memorial Highway site.

Notable veterans buried at Willamette National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note at Willamette 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:
  • Lieutenant Colonel Stanley T. Adams (Korea). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company A, 19th Infantry Regiment, for actions near Sesim-ni, Korea, February 4, 1951. Adams died in 1999 and is buried in Section H, Site 3623-O.
  • First Lieutenant Arnold L. Bjorklund (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, 142nd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division, for actions near Altavilla, Italy, September 13, 1943. Bjorklund died in 1979 and is buried in Section H, Site 3622-O.
  • Specialist 4th Class Larry G. Dahl (Vietnam). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, 359th Transportation Company, U.S. Support Command, in recognition of courageous disregard for personal safety that saved the lives of fellow soldiers at the cost of his own at An Khe, Binh Dinh Province, Republic of Vietnam, February 23, 1971. Dahl is buried in Section H, Site 3622-M.
  • Sergeant 1st Class Loren R. Kaufman (Korea). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, Company G, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, in recognition of actions near Yongsan, Korea, September 4–5, 1950. Kaufman died in 1951 and is buried in Section H, Site 3622-N.
  • Other Burials Oregon Governor and U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield (Section H, Site 3623-H)

Visiting hours at Willamette National Cemetery

Visitation Hours: Open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time and 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. 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. and Veterans Day 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 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 Willamette 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 Willamette 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 Willamette National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Willamette National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Willamette 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 Willamette National Cemetery directly at 503-273-5250.

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 Oregon law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Oregon 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 Willamette 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. 0.5 mi from the cemetery
  2. 1.1 mi from the cemetery
  3. 1.7 mi from the cemetery
  4. Earth Funeral Home
    Portland, OR
    2.2 mi from the cemetery
  5. 3.2 mi from the cemetery
  6. 3.8 mi from the cemetery

Search all funeral homes by ZIP on FuneralUS

FAQ

Questions about burial at Willamette National Cemetery

  • Is burial at Willamette 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 Willamette 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 Willamette 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 Willamette 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 Willamette 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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