About NCA
Leadership
Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs
The Honorable Samuel B. Brown was nominated by President Donald J. Trump and confirmed by the Senate on July 30, 2025, to serve as the 8th Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In this role he oversees the operation and maintenance of 157 VA national cemeteries and the delivery of memorial products such as headstones, markers, medallions and Presidential Memorial Certificates. He also administers the federal grant program supporting the establishment and expansion of Veterans cemeteries managed by states, territories, and tribal governments. His responsibilities further include programs that honor and preserve the memory of Veterans through the Veterans Legacy Program and Veterans Legacy Memorial.
Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs
Ronald E. Walters was named the Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs (PDUSMA) in January 2015. He also served as the Acting/Interim Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs for various periods from June 2014 to July 2025. He came to NCA as the Deputy Under Secretary for Finance and Planning/Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and served in that role from July 2006 to January 2015. As the PDUSMA, Mr. Walters oversees a broad range of management and operational activities across NCA in support of the Under Secretary.
About NCA
Eligible service members and Veterans have earned VA burial and memorial benefits for themselves, their spouses, and qualifying family members. Whether you choose burial in a VA national cemetery, a VA grant-funded cemetery, or a private cemetery your family has used for generations, these benefits play an essential role in your end-of-life planning.
A service member or Veteran's spouse, widow or widower, minor children, and, under certain conditions, unmarried adult children with disabilities, may also be eligible for burial. Eligible spouses and children may be buried even if they predecease the service member or Veteran.
Learn about the benefits earned, who is eligible, how to apply, and contact for assistance if needed at: https://www.cem.va.gov/burial-memorial-benefits/
VA provides the gravesite, grave liner, opening and closing of the grave, government headstone or marker, U.S. burial flag, Presidential Memorial Certificate, and perpetual care of the gravesite at no cost to the family.
VA operates 157 national cemeteries and 35 soldiers' lots and monument sites in 44 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 125 Veterans cemeteries in 47 states and territories including tribal trust lands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Saipan. For Veterans not buried in a VA national cemetery, VA provides headstones, markers, or medallions to commemorate their service. Nearly 5.3 million people — including 4 million Veterans from the Revolutionary War to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan — are honored with a burial in a VA national cemetery.
Learn facts about the National Cemetery Administration
Information on VA burial benefits is available by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 800-827-1000.
To make burial arrangements at any open VA national cemetery at the time of need, call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at