San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery

San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Santa Nella, 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 San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery

The creation of San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery is the sixth in the state and 114th in the National Cemetery Administration.

The Romero Ranch Company donated the land for the cemetery to the Department of Veterans Affairs on February 3, 1989. Construction of the 105-acre first phase began July 15, 1990. The water-pumping station on the California Aqueduct, the last element of construction, was completed in May 1992. The first phase yielded about 15,000 gravesites and 8,000 in-ground cremation sites.

Monuments and Memorials The California Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated August 1, 1998. The memorial is a composition of 16 individual granite five-foot monoliths arranged to form a circle. These 16 granite monoliths combined contain the total names of the 2,495 Californians who gave their lives fighting in the Korean War. The memorial was sponsored by a number of veteran service organizations, individuals and corporations.

The 11th Airborne Memorial is a granite and bronze monument that was dedicated on May 11, 2002, in honor of all airborne soldiers. The sculptor was William Porteus, a member of the 511th unit.

Notable interments

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

Directions

From San Jose Airport, drive south on 101 then East on State Route 152 (toward Los Banos). As you drive over Pacheco Pass go left on State Highway 33. Drive about three and a half miles on Highway 33 then turn left on McCabe Road. Travel four miles. The cemetery will be at the end of the road.

Flowers and grounds rules

Fresh and artificial floral displays may be placed on the graves at any time. Floral containers are available throughout the cemetery.

Floral displays will be removed when they become faded and unsightly or as necessary to facilitate cemetery operations. All items will be removed on the first and third Wednesday of every month. The pick up schedule is posted at the traffic circle at the end of Tres Cerritos Boulevard. (NO FLORAL PICKUPS IN DECEMBER.)

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

Where is the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for San Joaquin Valley 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 San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery directly at 209-854-1040.

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 San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

• California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery, Seaside, CA: 59 mi, open for burials
• Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, CA: 83 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery, Benicia, CA: 85 mi, closed to new in-ground burials