Louisiana Veterans Cemeteries

Louisiana runs five veterans cemeteries, more than most states, so the drive is usually shorter than a national cemetery. Central Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, 3348 University Parkway, Leesville, (337) 238-6405. Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, 2413 Highway 425, Rayville, (318) 728-4346. Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, 7970 Mike Clarke Road, Keithville, (318) 925-0612. Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, 34888 Grantham College Drive, Slidell, (985) 646-6458. Southwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, 1620 Evangeline Road, Jennings, (337) 246-7094. Each provides grave sites, above-ground placement for cremated remains, a government-provided headstone or marker, perpetual care, and military funeral honors and committal services. The cost rule is where Louisiana differs from some neighbors and where a family gets a surprise. Burial of an eligible veteran is at no cost to the veteran. For an eligible spouse or dependent child, a fee equal to the current federal VA plot allowance is charged at the time of interment. That figure moves with the federal allowance, so ask the cemetery office for the current amount rather than budgeting from a guide. Mississippi, by contrast, buries spouses and dependent children free. If a Louisiana family is comparing a state cemetery with a national cemetery, the spouse fee belongs in the comparison. Eligibility follows VA national cemetery standards: a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable from active duty, death while on active duty, 20 or more years of Guard or Reserve service qualifying for military retirement or that would qualify at age 60, or activated Reserve and Guard members. Spouses and dependents are eligible, with children limited to unmarried children under 21, under 23 if a full-time student, or a child with a lifelong disability that arose before age 21. Do the paperwork before you need it. The department offers a pre-need eligibility determination, and a request to determine eligibility is on its cemeteries page. Establishing eligibility in advance removes the document hunt from the week of a death, which is the single most useful thing a veteran can do for their family here. The Louisiana cemeteries have a record of national operational excellence recognition, which in practice means the grounds and the scheduling are reliable. Reach the department at (225) 219-5000 or [email protected], or work through the parish veterans service office.