VA national cemetery
San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery
Santa Nella, California
Location
32053 W McCabe Road
Santa Nella, CA 95322
Visiting
- Address
- 32053 W McCabe Road, Santa Nella, CA 95322
- Phone
- 209-854-1040
- Visiting hours
- Open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Office hours
- Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day.
- Time zone
- Pacific Time
- Burial space
- Open
- Accessibility
- Not yet verified
- Official page
- cem.va.gov
Flowers and grounds policy, from the VA
Fresh and artificial floral displays may be placed on the graves at any time. Floral containers are available throughout the cemetery.
Floral displays will be removed when they become faded and unsightly or as necessary to facilitate cemetery operations. All items will be removed on the first and third Wednesday of every month. The pick up schedule is posted at the traffic circle at the end of Tres Cerritos Boulevard. (NO FLORAL PICKUPS IN DECEMBER.)
Plantings are not permitted on the graves at any time.
To maintain the dignity of the cemetery, commemorative items, balloons, pinwheels, glass or breakable items, votive lights, statues, shepherd's hooks, etc., are not allowed. Cemetery staff will remove non-floral items immediately. Items appearing to be of sentimental or keepsake value will be retained for one month before disposal.
No item or object may be attached to a headstone or marker in a national cemetery.
No candles or open flames (fire hazard).
Weapons Policy
VA regulations 38 CFR 1.218 prohibit the carrying of firearms (either openly or concealed), explosives or other dangerous or deadly weapons while on VA property, except for official purposes, such as military funeral honors.
Possession of firearms on any property under the charge and control of VA is prohibited. Offenders may be subject to a fine, removal from the premises, or arrest.
General information, from the VA
Military Funeral Honors
The Military Funeral Honors Program establishes procedures for requesting and rendering military funeral honors. By law, an honor guard detail for the burial of an eligible veteran shall consist of at least two members of the armed forces. Funeral home directors or a personal representative should request military funeral honors on behalf of the Veteran's family. VA suggests that you contact the military service branches at least 48 to 72 hours before a scheduled service to arrange for military funeral honors.
There are several organizations, both military and service organizations, that provide a funeral honors detail for services. Those providing the honors details are primarily Veteran of Foreign War (VFW), as well as American Legion, Lemoore Naval details (two days) and the California State National Guard from Fresno, CA.
Directions from Nearest Airport
From San Jose Airport, drive south on 101 then East on State Route 152 (toward Los Banos). As you drive over Pacheco Pass go left on State Highway 33. Drive about three and a half miles on Highway 33 then turn left on McCabe Road. Travel four miles. The cemetery will be at the end of the road.
Pay your respects
Visitors to veterans’ graves sometimes leave a coin on the headstone to show that someone came. You can leave a symbolic coin here. No money is involved, and nothing about you is published. About the custom, and what each coin is said to mean.
History
Reproduced from the VA National Cemetery Administration’s page for this cemetery, retrieved November 11, 2026. This is the VA’s text, unedited; it is not independent research by this site.
The creation of San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery is the sixth in the state and 114th in the National Cemetery Administration.
The Romero Ranch Company donated the land for the cemetery to the Department of Veterans Affairs on February 3, 1989. Construction of the 105-acre first phase began July 15, 1990. The water-pumping station on the California Aqueduct, the last element of construction, was completed in May 1992. The first phase yielded about 15,000 gravesites and 8,000 in-ground cremation sites.
Monuments and Memorials
The California Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated August 1, 1998. The memorial is a composition of 16 individual granite five-foot monoliths arranged to form a circle. These 16 granite monoliths combined contain the total names of the 2,495 Californians who gave their lives fighting in the Korean War. The memorial was sponsored by a number of veteran service organizations, individuals and corporations.
The 11th Airborne Memorial is a granite and bronze monument that was dedicated on May 11, 2002, in honor of all airborne soldiers. The sculptor was William Porteus, a member of the 511th unit.
Notable burials and memorials
Reproduced from the VA’s page for this cemetery, retrieved November 11, 2026, including Medal of Honor recipients where the VA lists them. Links lead to the VA’s own records. To correct an entry, contact the VA; to tell us our copy is out of date, report it.
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Recipients receive the Medal of Honor from the President on behalf of Congress. It was first awarded during the Civil War and the eligibility criteria, medal design, and recognition on a recipients' grave marker have all evolved over time. There are 435 Medal of Honor recipients interred at VA national cemeteries including 6 double recipients.
» Medal of Honor recipients interred or memorialized here:
Seaman William Troy (1871 Korean Campaign). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Navy for actions on board the USS Colorado during the capture of the Korean forts, June 11, 1871. Troy died in 1907 and is memorialized in Section M-1, Site 53.
Nearby veterans cemeteries
Sources
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration. Find a Cemetery: all national cemeteries, and each cemetery’s own page. U.S. government work (public domain). Retrieved November 11, 2026. Used for: name, address, phone and burial-space status, hours, policies, history and notable burials.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration. San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery (official cemetery page). Retrieved November 11, 2026.
- Map position: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration. VA National Cemetery Sites (dataset).