GENERAL INFORMATION

To schedule a burial: Fax all discharge documentation to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-866-900-6417 and follow-up with a phone call to 1-800-535-1117. 

Military Funeral Honors
The National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona is fortunate to have a full time Honor Guard made up of representatives of local veterans service organizations. They provide a 10-15 minute non-denominational service, provide a rifle salute, and play Taps. To arrange this service, please contact the national cemetery staff.
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HISTORICAL INFORMATION

A state law was passed in 1976 and signed by Governor Raul Castro authorizing the development of a state veterans cemetery. The cemetery was dedicated December 9, 1978 and the first burial occurred on March 19, 1979. The cemetery was officially transferred to the VA on April 1, 1989. The cemetery consists of 225 acres and will not reach capacity until well after the year 2030. The Department of Veterans Affairs spent over $13 million for improvements in 1999. The project included three new committal shelters, maintenance building, visitor center, founders plaza, assembly area, columbaria, and extensive landscaping.

Monuments and Memorials
As of 2003, there were 18 monuments and memorials at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, most arranged along a memorial walkway. Two unique memorials at the cemetery are the Eternal Flame monument, which is pyramidal in shape, and the World War II Submarine Torpedo monument.
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NOTABLE PERSONS

Nathan E. Cook, the last survivor of the Spanish American War, died in 1992 at the age of 106.
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FLORAL/GROUNDS REGULATIONS

Flowers:  Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave after the interment. They will be removed when they become unsightly or as necessary to facilitate cemetery operations. Fresh cut and artificial flowers may be placed on graves at anytime. Arrangements may not be more than 24" high.

Flower Containers:  Temporary plastic flower containers are provided by the cemetery and may be found in containers located throughout the cemetery. No more than two vases per site are permitted on the grave year round. We request that you limit your flowers to one temporary vase so that there are some available for all of our visitors.  Flower containers should be centered at the bottom portion of the marker.  The hole in the marker base is not for flower vases; it is part of the design of the concrete base only.

Permanent containers are no longer authorized and will be removed during renovations of sites. NMCA is not responsible for loss, theft or damage to in-ground vases.

Special Occasions:  During the Christmas Season you may place one of the following: Christmas wreath, Christmas plant, Christmas tree (plants and Christmas trees are limited in height, maximum 24 inches), Christmas Floral Blankets (maximum size is 2 feet by 3 feet), or flowers during the period from December 1 through January 20.  All grave decorations will be removed and discarded after January 20.

Potted plants and/or artificial arrangements for Easter and Memorial Day will be permitted on the graves 10 days before through 10 days after these holidays.  Cemetery personnel will remove and discard these items when the time period has elapsed.

Special Guidelines:  Permanent plants of any type are not permitted on graves and will be removed when found. To maintain the dignity of the cemetery, items such as statues, glass of any kind, vigil lights, shepherd's hooks, wind chimes, pinwheels, balloons, memorabilia, and commemorative items are not permitted on the graves. No items may be secured in any way to markers, niche covers, or plant material and will be removed when found.  Items which are considered offensive, inconsistent with the dignity of the cemetery, or hazardous to cemetery personnel will also be removed. All decorations will be removed during the 2nd week of July.

In order to be responsive to the public, all unauthorized items placed on the graves will be removed by cemetery personnel and placed on a table on the west side of the maintenance shop for a period of one month prior to disposal.

Flags and flag holders: Only U.S. 8" by 12" cemetery marking flags are permitted on graves. On Memorial Day weekend the cemetery, with assistance from volunteer organizations, places flags on each gravesite. They are removed after the holiday. The Avenue of Flags, which consists of donated casket flags, is displayed on Veterans Day and other special occasions in lieu of individual grave flags .
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