01Where veterans are buried in the United States
Veterans are buried in three types of cemeteries: national cemeteries operated by the VA's National Cemetery Administration, state veterans cemeteries operated by state governments, and private cemeteries where veterans are buried alongside civilian family members. Despite the visibility of national cemeteries like Arlington, most veterans are buried in private cemeteries — often in the hometown cemetery where their family plots are located.
Each type of cemetery has different record systems and different tools for finding graves. National cemeteries have the most complete and searchable records. State veterans cemeteries vary by state. Private cemeteries require the most effort, as veteran status is not always noted in the cemetery's burial register.
02Finding graves in national cemeteries
The VA National Gravesite Locator (gravelocator.cem.va.gov) is the authoritative source for burials in VA national cemeteries. Search by last name, first name, and optionally middle initial, birth year, and death year. Results include the cemetery name, grave location (section and grave number), branch of service, rank, and dates of service. The database covers all 155 national cemeteries plus some private cemeteries where veterans are buried with government-furnished headstones.
Once you have the section and grave number from the VA locator, use Memor to navigate to the exact headstone within the cemetery. National cemeteries are among the hardest places to find a single grave: tens of thousands of identical white headstones in perfect rows. GPS navigation turns a forty-minute search into a two-minute walk.
03Finding graves in state veterans cemeteries
State veterans cemeteries are operated by state governments, often in partnership with the VA. Each state maintains its own database or contact system for grave locations. Some states have online searchable databases; others require a phone call to the cemetery office. The VA National Gravesite Locator includes some state veterans cemeteries but not all — check your state's veterans affairs website for the most complete information.
State veterans cemeteries are generally smaller than national cemeteries and easier to navigate on foot, but GPS navigation still saves time, particularly for first-time visitors who don't know the grounds layout.
04Finding veteran graves in private cemeteries
Most veterans are buried in private cemeteries, often in family plots. Finding these graves requires a different approach. Start with the VA's headstone and marker program: if the veteran received a government-furnished headstone or marker, the VA has a record of it. The VA's Nationwide Gravesite Locator includes some private cemetery burials with government headstones.
For veterans without government headstones, search Find a Grave (filter by military service), BillionGraves, and Memor. Obituaries frequently mention military service and the cemetery name. Funeral home records may note veteran status. If you know the cemetery but not the plot, call the cemetery office and ask about veteran burials — many cemeteries keep separate indexes for veterans.
05Military headstones and markers
Veterans who served honorably are entitled to a government-furnished headstone or marker at no cost. The standard military headstone is a white marble upright (for cemeteries that allow upright stones) or a flat marker, inscribed with the veteran's name, rank, branch of service, war period, birth and death years, and optionally a religious emblem. These headstones are recognizable nationwide and make veteran graves identifiable even in private cemeteries.
The VA also provides medallions that can be affixed to privately purchased headstones to indicate veteran status. If you're searching for a veteran's grave in a private cemetery and you see a government headstone or a VA medallion, you've likely found a veteran's grave even before reading the inscription.
06Using Memor's veterans grave locator
Memor's veterans grave locator searches across all cemetery types — national, state, and private — for veteran grave records in the Memor network. Search by name, optionally with a state or cemetery, and Memor shows matching graves on a map with GPS navigation to the headstone. Memorial pages for veterans display service details — branch, rank, era, decorations — with the dignity they deserve, and families can add the stories behind the service.
For Memorial Day and Veterans Day, Memor helps volunteer organizations locate every veteran grave in a mapped cemetery so that no marker goes without a flag or a wreath. The GPS map makes it possible to plan a flag placement route that covers every veteran grave efficiently.
07Memorial Day flag placement at veteran graves
Memorial Day traditions include placing American flags at veteran graves — the 'Flags In' ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery places flags at more than 400,000 graves in a matter of hours. Local VFW posts, American Legion chapters, and Scout troops organize similar flag placements at cemeteries across the country.
Memor supports these efforts by providing a GPS map of every veteran grave in mapped cemeteries. Volunteers can see which graves have already received flags and which still need them, ensuring complete coverage. For families who can't participate in person, Memor's marketplace allows remote flag placement with photo confirmation.