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National Cemetery Administration

 

Volunteer With the National Cemetery Administration

There are many ways to serve your country. Honor and remember the veterans who gave us so much. Here are some of the many ways to volunteer with the National Cemetery Administration:

Honor Veterans at Time of Burial

-Serve in Military Funeral Honors details
-Play live "Taps" at veterans' funerals

Staff the Public Information Centers

-Greet visitors
-Assist veterans and visitors with information about the cemetery
-Provide directions around the grounds
-Provide administrative support

Join the Support Committee

-Plan ceremonies for Memorial Day and Veterans Day
-Donate helpful items such as golf carts used to transport visitors who need assistance in reaching a gravesite
-Recruit volunteers for the cemetery
-Coordinate volunteer activities during special events
-Raise and lower cemetery flags on national holidays

Be a Part of History

-Research and document cemetery history
-Serve as guides who educate the public about the nation's history and veterans’ sacrifices
-Help identify and catalogue monuments in VA national cemeteries
-Provide walking tours to students and other visitors

Help Maintain and Beautify the Hallowed Grounds

-Prune and sculpt cemetery trees
-Mend cemetery flags and ensure they are in perfect condition for public display
-Sponsor a burial area or flower bed and maintain it all year long
-Resurface and repaint/stain cemetery benches used for reflection and rest

Opportunities are available for all volunteers, individual or group. To volunteer or give today, contact a VA National Cemetery near you. For more information about other volunteer opportunities available at the VA, visit the VA Voluntary Service. Volunteers are an invaluable resource for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Try out the Voluntary Service calculator to see what you're worth.

volunteers plant flowers at cemetery entrance
Vaca Valley Garden Club Members are Perennial Volunteers at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery
  

NCA Volunteer Honored with Presidential Citizens Medal

Mr. Weiss receives service award

 

George Weiss, an NCA volunteer at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, received the 2010 Presidential Citizens Medal from President Obama in a White House ceremony Aug. 4. George and 12 other people were selected to receive the medal from over 6,000 applicants.

Weiss is a founding member of the Fort Snelling National Cemetery Memorial Rifle Squad and a member of its Friday Squad. Since the Memorial Rifle Squad was founded in 1979, Weiss and the other members of the Memorial Rifle Squad have performed military honors every day there has been burials at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. For 30-plus years the Memorial Rifle Squad has performed this duty regardless of the sometimes extreme weather conditions in Minneapolis. So far they have performed military honors for more than 56,400 Veterans.

Weiss, one of six founding members of the rifle squad, began as the youngest member and is now the last survivor of the original six. The average age of the volunteers is 71.6 years old.

The Presidential Citizens Medal is the second-highest civilian honor that the President can award. Established by Executive Order in 1969, the award recognizes "American citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or fellow citizens."

"What unites these citizens - what makes them special - is the determination they share to find a wrong and right it; to see a need and meet it; to recognize when others are suffering and take it upon themselves to make a difference," said President Obama during the ceremony. "These honorees' lives stand as shining examples of what it means to be an American. And today, we have an opportunity to tell their stories; to say thank you; and to offer them a small token of our appreciation."
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