The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs operates five cemeteries across the state. Each veterans cemetery offers a beautiful and tranquil environment that veterans, their spouses and dependent children can call their final resting pace.
Eligibility
Veterans who served one day of active duty not active duty for training prior to Sept. 7, 1980 enlisted and Oct. 16, 1981 for an officer, or two consecutive years after those dates and were discharged under honorable conditions are eligible for interment (burial). Reservists who were called up to active duty under Title 10 or retired from the military and were discharged under honorable conditions, and any veteran who was VA-service connected, are eligible as well.
In addition, there is a state burial benefit that provides for a service member of the Louisiana National Guard or a drilling reserve component to be interred (buried) with a spouse, if the service member was a Louisiana resident at the time of death and received a discharge under honorable conditions.
Burial Services
Louisiana’s veterans cemeteries offer dignified, lasting tributes to honor those who served our country. Each of our five cemeteries provide compassionate and professional services, including:
- Military Honors and/or Committal Service at the Time of Burial
- Options for In-Ground Casketed Remains, In-Ground Inurnment and Above-Ground Options for Cremated Remains
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Provided Headstones or Markers
- Perpetual Grounds Care at No Cost to the Family
- Personalized Assistance from Experienced Cemetery Staff
Headstones and Markers
There are several different options of headstones and markers, and availability varies for each of our cemeteries. Our experienced staff can advise you on which options are available. There are many emblems of belief available for headstones and markers, as well as inscriptions set forth by the federal VA.
Veterans and their spouses will share the same marker. For an upright headstone, the spouse’s information will be on the back, and for all other markers, it will be listed below the veteran’s information.
Interment Fees
There is no interment, or burial, fee for eligible veterans. The interment fee for veteran spouses and dependent children is a nominal charge, equal to the federal VA plot allowance at the time of their death, which a member of our cemetery staff can provide.
Burial Arrangements and Cemetery Applications
Burial arrangements can be made in advance with the funeral home of choice. Veterans may complete a pre-need application with the selected cemetery to determine if they are eligible for burial prior to death; however, it is not a requirement. A burial application can be completed after death by the funeral home for casketed burials or the family or funeral home for cremation burials. Veterans may also complete a fillable PDF application in lieu of the online application to be submitted via email or mail to the chosen cemetery.
Gravesite Locators
There are two gravesite locators available for those who wish to locate an existing gravesite. Our department has our own locator, which will exclusively search our five cemeteries. Additionally, there is a locator provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which searches for veterans interred at all state and national veterans cemeteries. To locate veterans who are not interred in a state or national veterans cemetery, you can utilize Find a Grave.
For More Information
To learn more about what offerings are available at each cemetery and how our staff can assist your family, select the cemetery location you’re interested in at the top of this page.
Non-LDVA Cemetery Information
For family members who would like to order a VA headstone or marker for a veteran interred at a private cemetery, please contact the funeral home that handled the service, or the cemetery where the veteran is interred, directly.
