Forest Lawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Forest Lawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot is a VA national cemetery in Omaha, Nebraska. 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 Forest Lawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Forest Lawn Cemetery was established on May 13, 1885, in Omaha, Nebraska, by a group of local businessmen. A founding member of the Forest Lawn Cemetery Association, John H. Brackin, donated the first 100 acres to the new lawn-park cemetery. On November 12, 1886, Brackin was the first to be interred there. The cemetery expanded over the years, and today Forest Lawn Memorial Park encompasses more than 320 acres.

The soldiers' lot is located in Section 9 of Forest Lawn Cemetery. The last of the 42 interments in the soldiers' lot was made in 1920.

Directions

From Omaha Airport (Eppley Airfield) travel Northwest on Abbott Drive. From Abbott Drive bear left onto Arthur C. Storz Expressway. Travel 2.5 miles then bear right onto Sorensen Parkway. From Sorensen Parkway bear right onto US 75 North. From US 75 North turn left onto Mormon Bridge Road. Travel Mormon Bridge Road 3.8 miles to the cemetery.

Flowers and grounds rules

Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Fresh-cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. Cemetery visitors are free to use flower containers located in receptacles placed throughout the grounds. Flowers are picked up on the first and third Mondays of the month during the mowing season, April 1 through October 1.

Who can be buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot?

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 Forest Lawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot?

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 Forest Lawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Forest Lawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Forest Lawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Forest Lawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot 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 Forest Lawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot directly at 402-253-3949.

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 Nebraska law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Nebraska 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 Forest Lawn Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, by straight-line distance:

• Omaha National Cemetery, Omaha, NE: 16 mi, open for burials
• Iowa Veterans Cemetery, Adel, IA: 107 mi, open for burials
• Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Grand Island, Grand Island, NE: 127 mi, open for burials