Posted on Dec 11, 2020
Honoring your Veteran's grave this holiday season
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Each year, hundreds of thousands of people visit the graves of their loved-ones interred at VA National Cemeteries. These special trips often occur around the holidays, but due to COVID-19 safety concerns many are unable to make the trip this year.
But just because you can’t be there in person doesn’t mean your Veteran is forgotten.
“In the military we often say ‘No one is left behind,’ and at the National Cemetery Administration we have a saying that ‘No Veteran ever dies’ as long as we honor their legacy,” said Danny Devine, executive director of the National Cemetery Administration’s Office of Engagement and Memorial Innovations.
There are still ways to honor your Veteran despite not being able to travel.
Find someone local to visit your loved one’s grave. Post in or search the comments below to find Veteran supporters who are local and can visit your Veteran without major travel.
• If you are looking for someone to visit your Veteran type LOOKING and the cemetery such as - LOOKING Florida National Cemetery.
- Consider sharing some details about your Veteran with a volunteer visitor so they can honor his or her service.
• If you are offering to visit a grave type VISITING and the cemetery such as – VISITING Florida National Cemetery.
- Consider taking a picture and sending it to the Veteran family member or loved one who requested the visit.
Not sure where your Veteran is buried or interred? Use NCA’s Nationwide Gravesite Locator at: https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/
If you can’t visit or can’t find someone to visit your Veteran this year, consider using the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM) online platform. VLM extends memorialization of the 3.7 million Veterans interred in those cemeteries to this digital memorial space by providing a VLM profile page for each Veteran. Launched in 2019 with Veteran service and cemetery information, VLM now allows family, friends and others to post tributes to a Veteran’s page and to share Veteran pages using email, Facebook and Twitter. Visit http://www.va.gov/remember to get started.
VA operates 152 national cemeteries and 34 soldiers' lots and monument sites in 42 states and Puerto Rico. More than 4 million Americans, including Veterans of every war and conflict, are buried in VA's national cemeteries. VA also provides funding to establish, expand, improve and maintain 117 Veterans cemeteries in 48 states and territories including tribal trust lands, Guam, and Saipan. For Veterans not buried in a VA national cemetery, VA provides headstones, markers or medallions to commemorate their service. In 2017, VA honored more than 361,892 Veterans and their loved ones with memorial benefits in national, state, tribal and private cemeteries. Learn more at: https://www.cem.va.gov/
But just because you can’t be there in person doesn’t mean your Veteran is forgotten.
“In the military we often say ‘No one is left behind,’ and at the National Cemetery Administration we have a saying that ‘No Veteran ever dies’ as long as we honor their legacy,” said Danny Devine, executive director of the National Cemetery Administration’s Office of Engagement and Memorial Innovations.
There are still ways to honor your Veteran despite not being able to travel.
Find someone local to visit your loved one’s grave. Post in or search the comments below to find Veteran supporters who are local and can visit your Veteran without major travel.
• If you are looking for someone to visit your Veteran type LOOKING and the cemetery such as - LOOKING Florida National Cemetery.
- Consider sharing some details about your Veteran with a volunteer visitor so they can honor his or her service.
• If you are offering to visit a grave type VISITING and the cemetery such as – VISITING Florida National Cemetery.
- Consider taking a picture and sending it to the Veteran family member or loved one who requested the visit.
Not sure where your Veteran is buried or interred? Use NCA’s Nationwide Gravesite Locator at: https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/
If you can’t visit or can’t find someone to visit your Veteran this year, consider using the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM) online platform. VLM extends memorialization of the 3.7 million Veterans interred in those cemeteries to this digital memorial space by providing a VLM profile page for each Veteran. Launched in 2019 with Veteran service and cemetery information, VLM now allows family, friends and others to post tributes to a Veteran’s page and to share Veteran pages using email, Facebook and Twitter. Visit http://www.va.gov/remember to get started.
VA operates 152 national cemeteries and 34 soldiers' lots and monument sites in 42 states and Puerto Rico. More than 4 million Americans, including Veterans of every war and conflict, are buried in VA's national cemeteries. VA also provides funding to establish, expand, improve and maintain 117 Veterans cemeteries in 48 states and territories including tribal trust lands, Guam, and Saipan. For Veterans not buried in a VA national cemetery, VA provides headstones, markers or medallions to commemorate their service. In 2017, VA honored more than 361,892 Veterans and their loved ones with memorial benefits in national, state, tribal and private cemeteries. Learn more at: https://www.cem.va.gov/
Posted in these groups: 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 294
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I had a buddy who was haunted that he lost soldiers and asked me what I could to help him. I told him I never thought of this endeavor and to let me sleep on it, and I would answer tomorrow. The following day I told him to hold a private, small, intimate, somber ceremony for them. To ask their maker to accept them into a better place. He went to the cemetery with their tags and spoke to each of them. He looked up and asked their maker to accept them. This tremendously reduced his burden. Another veteran asked me for the same help and gave him the same advice. He was able to release his guilt and sadness as well. He wrote letters to them.
We have 3,000 soldiers buried in a Netherlands cemetery. Their sacrifices have been institutionalized. It is part of the country's DNA now and is a national event to recognize our soldiers who died trying to liberate the Netherlands. Every single grave has been adopted by a Dutch family for flowers and ceremonies. They are now sons of the US and the Netherlands. There is a long waiting list to adopt the graves. For this I have immense gratitude for the Dutch because they love our boys. Much deeper than my words.
We have 3,000 soldiers buried in a Netherlands cemetery. Their sacrifices have been institutionalized. It is part of the country's DNA now and is a national event to recognize our soldiers who died trying to liberate the Netherlands. Every single grave has been adopted by a Dutch family for flowers and ceremonies. They are now sons of the US and the Netherlands. There is a long waiting list to adopt the graves. For this I have immense gratitude for the Dutch because they love our boys. Much deeper than my words.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
Ester Sikkenga - Thank you very much for adopting graves and our boys. I have an immense amount of gratitude for your kindness. I feel infinitely better knowing they are loved. They came from farms, villages, towns, and cities. Now they rest in the Netherlands. I have read of chance encounters with adoptive families and families of the deceased. I really don't know if there is a program to try to make the aforementioned possible.
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PO2 Juli Micken
Those are some wise words. I still think of the sailors I served with and wonder how they are doing. Some I am still in contact with. But the ones who passed while I was serving, this is a great idea, for I have no idea where they are buried. Thank you for this will help many.
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I went to Arlington Cemetery two years ago for Christmas 2018. A site I will never forget.
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SGM (Join to see)
SPC Brian Olsen - If you were at Arlington National Cemetery you didn't see any crosses - only headstones, like in the photo at the top of this page. Arlington doesn't allow crosses, except in the old section.
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SGT Lorenzo Nieto
I truly wish I could go and pay respect to my fallen brothers but I just can’t I know three guys I grew up with that are there from Vietnam as well as guys I served with in Vietnam I wish I could bring myself to be able to go there I am glad you folks can,hell I freaked when my brother tried to get to go see the Vietnam wall, for nowI’ll just remember how brave these men truly are, because they are the true heroes of this country. Enough said.
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SPC Robin Price-Dirks
I was 11 when my father died (he and my mom divorced when I was a baby) and I have no idea where he was buried. He was a member of the National guard in Atlanta, Georgia and died sometime in November 1970 or 1971. I am his only child and have never had any contact with anyone from his family.
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1LT Mike Schelp
SPC Robin Price-Dirks - check this website. It might help. Good luck, and know that his service is appreciated. https://www.findagrave.com/
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This is all great information. I was unaware of most of this. Thank you so much for providing it.
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