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VA National Cemeteries

Wood National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility

Milwaukee, Wisconsin · VA national cemetery

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

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

You can look up burials at Wood 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. VA lists Wood National Cemetery as closed to new burials, so ask the scheduling office whether an existing family gravesite can be used.

History of Wood National Cemetery

Wood National Cemetery is located on the grounds of a former Soldiers Home that today is called the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI.

From 1867 until 1871, the home buried its soldiers in private cemeteries in the Milwaukee area. In 1871, a cemetery opened on the grounds. Originally known only as Soldiers Home Cemetery, it wasn't until 1937 the name was changed to honor Gen. George Wood, a longtime member of the Soldiers' Home's Board of Managers. It became a national cemetery in 1973.

The cemetery is part of the Northwestern Branch-National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers National Historic Landmark district, designated on June 6, 2011.

Monuments and Memorials The 60-foot-tall granite Civil War Soldiers and Sailors monument was erected in 1903 when the cemetery was part of the Northwest Branch Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. The monument was sponsored by the Soldiers and Sailors Association and was sculpted by Joseph Shaver Granite and Marble Co. of Milwaukee.

Notable veterans buried at Wood National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note at Wood 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:
  • Ordinary Seaman James K. L. Duncan (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U. S. Navy, on board the USS Fort Hindman for actions during the engagement near Harrisonburg, LA, April 16, 1864. Duncan died in 1913 and is buried in Section 19, Site 41.
  • Sergeant Milton Matthews (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company C, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry, for actions at Petersburg, VA, April 2, 1865. Matthews died in 1896 and is buried in Section 11, Site 61.
  • Boatswain's Mate Michael McCormick (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Navy, on board the USS Signal for actions in battle on the Red River, Louisiana, May 5, 1864. McCormick died in 1865 and is memorialized in Section MA, Site 10A.
  • Corporal Winthrop D. Putnam (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company A, 77th, Illinois Infantry, for actions at Vicksburg, MS, May 22, 1863. Putnam died in 1907 and is buried in Section 16, Site 109.
  • Captain Lewis A. Rounds (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company D, 8th Ohio Infantry, for actions at Spotsylvania, VA, May 12, 1864. Rounds died in 1916 and is buried in Section 20, Site 256.

Visiting hours at Wood National Cemetery

Visitation Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day.

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

VA lists Wood National Cemetery as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Wood National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Wood 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 Wood National Cemetery directly at 414-382-5300.

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 Wisconsin law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Wisconsin 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 Wood 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. 0.4 mi from the cemetery
  2. 1.4 mi from the cemetery
  3. 1.6 mi from the cemetery
  4. 1.9 mi from the cemetery
  5. 2.0 mi from the cemetery
  6. 2.1 mi from the cemetery

Search all funeral homes by ZIP on FuneralUS

FAQ

Questions about burial at Wood National Cemetery

  • Is burial at Wood 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 Wood 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 Wood 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 Wood 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 Wood 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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