Source: US Department of Veterans Affairs
WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs this weekend will honor 49 Veterans of the Revolutionary War who are interred or memorialized in VA national cemeteries or VA-administered soldiers lots in private cemeteries, as part of the yearlong effort to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary.
While Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress July 4, 1776, most delegates signed it on Aug. 2, 1776. To mark that event, ceremonies will commence at 10 a.m. local time, Aug. 2, 2026, at 16 sites across the country:
- Bath National Cemetery, New York
- Baton Rouge National Cemetery, Louisiana
- Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey
- Congressional Cemetery Government Lots, District of Columbia
- Crown Hill National Cemetery, Indiana
- Florida National Cemetery, Florida
- Fort Bliss National Cemetery, Texas
- Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers’ Lot, Wisconsin
- Gerald B H Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, New York
- Great Lakes National Cemetery, Michigan
- Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Pennsylvania
- Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri
- Marietta National Cemetery, Georgia
- Mountain Home National Cemetery, Tennessee
- Springfield National Cemetery, Missouri
- West Virginia National Cemetery, West Virginia
“Service, sacrifice and patriotism are qualities displayed by our Veterans going back to the very founding of our nation,” said VA Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Sam Brown. “Two hundred and fifty years later, we remain inspired by those who first took up arms in defense of liberty, and who, like the signers of the Declaration of Independence, risked their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to establish the United States of America.”
View VA Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Sam Brown’s invitation to join the events here.
The names of the soldiers and sailors to be honored can be found here: Revolutionary War Interred Veterans.
NCA provides burial and memorial benefits to eligible Veterans, their spouses, and their dependents — at no cost to the family. This includes a gravesite in any of VA’s national cemeteries with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government headstone, marker updated this link or medallion, updated this link a burial flag and a Presidential Memorial Certificate. Some Veterans may also be eligible for burial allowances.
Learn more about VA’s burial and memorial benefits.
Reporters and media outlets with questions or comments should contact the Office of Media Relations at vapublicaffairs@va.gov
Veterans with questions about their health care and benefits (including GI Bill). Questions, updates and documents can be submitted online.
Veterans can also use our chatbot to get information about VA benefits and services. The chatbot won’t connect you with a person, but it can show you where to go on VA.gov to find answers to some common questions.