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VA National Cemetery

Riverside National Cemetery

22495 Van Buren Boulevard · Riverside, CA 92518

Open for burial

Riverside National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Riverside, California. VA lists it as open for burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

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

History of Riverside National Cemetery

Riverside National Cemetery is the largest and busiest cemetery managed by the National Cemetery Administration. It was established in 1976 through the transfer of 740 acres from March Air Force Base, which during World War II was called the U.S. Army's Camp William G. Haan. The cemetery was dedicated and opened for burials November 11, 1978. An additional 181 acres was transferred by the Air Force in 2003.

The dramatic, meandering landscape features a central boulevard with memorial circles, lakes, indigenous-styled committal shelters, and a memorial amphitheater.

Monuments and Memorials Riverside National cemetery is home of the Medal of Honor Memorial and one of four sites recognized as a National Medal of Honor Memorial Site. The Medal of Honor Memorial, whose walls feature the names of all medal recipients, is located at the third traffic circle in the cemetery. It was dedicated in 1999.

The Fallen Soldier/Veterans' Memorial, erected in 2000, is dedicated to all service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. The dramatic bronze structure topped by a lifeless soldier is located near the lake at the entrance to the cemetery.

A carillon was donated by the American Veterans (AMVETS) in 2000.

The Prisoner of War/Missing in Action National Memorial was designated as a national memorial by the U.S. Congress in 2004 through Public Law 108-454. The memorial was dedicated on September 16, 2005. Vietnam veteran Lewis Lee Millett, Jr., sculpted the bronze statue which depicts an American serviceman on his knees with hands bound by his captors. The statue is surrounded by black marble pillars that evoke imprisonment.

Notable interments

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note buried at Riverside National Cemetery, with section and site where recorded.

Medal of Honor Recipients 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 eligibility criteria for the Medal of Honor have changed over time.

Recipients buried or memorialized here:

Commander John H.

Balch (World War I). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Navy, 6th Regiment, U.S. Marines, for actions at Vierzy, France, on July 19, 1918, and at Somme-Py, France, on October 5, 1918. Balch died in 1980 and is buried in Section 2, Site 1925.

Second Lieutenant Walter D.

Ehlers (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, for actions near Goville, France, June 9–10, 1944. Ehlers died in 2014 and is buried in Section 20A, Site 644.

Colonel Lewis L.

Millett (Korea). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company E, 27th Infantry Regiment, for actions in the vicinity of Soam-Ni, Korea, February 7, 1951. Millett died in 2009 and is buried in Section 2, Site 1910.

Colonel Mitchell Paige (World War II).

He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, 1st Marine Division, for actions in the Solomon Islands, October 26, 1942. Paige died in 2003 and is buried in Section 20A, Site 533.

Staff Sergeant Ysmael Roger Villegas (World War II).

Ysmael Roger Villegas, native of California, enlisted in the U.S. Army on July 11, 1944, and served in Company F, 127th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Division. On March 20, 1945, in Luzon, Philippine Islands, Staff Sergeant Villegas charged the entrenched enemy, eliminated five fox holes, and was killed in action. Posthumously, he received the Medal of Honor on October 19, 1945. He is buried in Section 5, Site 1178.

Other Burials Robert Edward Badham, Lt.

j.g., U.S. Navy. U.S. Congressman from California. Served in California assembly, 1963–1976; U.S. House of Representatives 1977–1989 .

Section 16, Site 914A

George Baker, Tech Sgt., U.S.

Army, World War II. Cartoonist. Baker was a former Disney cartoonist who created the comic strip and comic book character "The Sad Sack" during World War II .

Section 8, Site 3254

Colonel Aaron Bank, U.S.

Army. Founder of the Army's elite Green Berets. During World War II Bank was assigned to the Office of Strategic Services within the Army's Special Operations branch. After the war he stayed with the Army, and convinced them to create a permanent Special Forces unit. In 2002, President George W. Bush bestowed Bank with a commendation for creating the techniques used to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan. He died in 2004 at the age of 101 .

Section 17, Site 421

Melissa Rose Barnes was born in 1973 in Los Angeles, and enlisted in the Navy in 1992.

Yeoman Barnes was posted to the Naval Command Center in 2001 where she was working on September 11. Barnes was killed in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon, and was buried in Riverside National Cemetery October 1, 2001 .

Section 56B, Site 123

Lillian Kinkela Keil, Captain, U.S.

Air Force. Air Force Flight Nurse Pioneer. She flew on 425 medical evacuation missions and took part in 11 major campaigns that included the D-Day invasion and Battle of the Bulge in World War II and the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korea War. One of the most decorated women in American military history, she was awarded 19 medals, including a European Theater medal with four battle stars, a Korean service medal with seven battle stars, four air medals and a Presidential Citation from the Republic of Korea .

Section 20A, Site 1235

Directions

Cemetery is located 70 miles east of Los Angeles, adjacent to March Air Reserve Base. From Ontario Airport, take Interstate 10 East to Interstate 15 South to Highway 60 East to Interstate 215 South. Exit at Van Buren Boulevard and turn right. Proceed on Van Buren to first traffic light. Cemetery entrance is on the left. From Los Angeles International Airport take Interstate 405 North to Interstate 10 East; merge on Highway 60 East. Proceed on Highway 60 to Riverside. Merge onto Interstate 215. Exit at Van Buren Boulevard and turn right. Proceed on Van Buren to first traffic light. Cemetery entrance is on the left.

Flowers and grounds rules

The intent of our floral guidelines is to ensure that we maintain the cemetery with the dignity befitting a National Shrine. We ask for your understanding and cooperation with our efforts.

We welcome fresh-cut flowers throughout the year and provide flower containers for gravesite display. Cemetery visitors are free to use the containers located in receptacles placed throughout the grounds. Once the blooms are spent or damaged, they are removed.

Education and visiting programs

View Videos and an Educational Lesson Plan about this cemetery, or visit the Veterans Legacy Program and NCA History Program for additional information. Thank you for your interest.

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

Where is the Riverside National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Riverside 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 Riverside National Cemetery directly at 951-653-8417.

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 Riverside National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

Funeral homes near Riverside 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. 3.1 mi from the cemetery
  2. 3.9 mi from the cemetery
  3. 5.8 mi from the cemetery
  4. 6.0 mi from the cemetery
  5. 7.7 mi from the cemetery
  6. 7.8 mi from the cemetery

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