Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery

Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Benicia, California. VA lists it as closed to new burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery

Nestled in beautiful Solano County California lies the historic Benicia Army Cemetery. The Benicia Army Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in the Pacific States. It was the post cemetery for the Benicia Barracks, which from 1849 to 1857 served as the Headquarters for the U.S. Army's Pacific Division. The cemetery contains 212 interments dating from 1849 to 1958. These interments include U.S. military personnel, civilians, unknowns, foreign personnel (German and Italian POW's) and three military service dogs. The cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Benicia Arsenal-Benicia Barracks Historic District.

Directions

Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery is located in Benicia, California. The closest major airport is Oakland International Airport (OAK). This airport has international and domestic flights from Oakland, California and is 39 miles from the cemetery.

From Oakland International Airport: Take I-880 N from 98th Ave. Take CA-24 E and I-680 N to E 5th St in Benicia. Take exit 6 from I-780 W. Follow E 5th St, Military E and Hospital Rd to Birch Rd.

Flowers and grounds rules

Fresh cut flowers may be placed on graves and in the gravel, areas surrounding the columbarium and memorial walls at any time and will be removed once they become unsightly. In addition, all items placed on gravesites can be removed to accommodate grounds maintenance to include removal of artificial flowers. Floral pickup is conducted every Wednesday of each month along with daily pick up of faded or unsightly arrangements and other items.

Cemetery furnished temporary flower cones are available and located throughout the cemetery in specially marked containers.

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

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

Where is the Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Benicia Arsenal Post 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 Benicia Arsenal Post 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.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

• Mare Island Naval Cemetery, Vallejo, CA: 7 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco, CA: 24 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, Dixon, CA: 29 mi, open for burials