Memorial Day.
What images come to mind when you think about the holiday that honors the nation’s fallen service members?
Poppies, backyard barbecues, a trip to a national cemetery to honor a loved one buried there?
COVID-19 restrictions have changed how the nation will gather to mark Memorial Day 2020, but that doesn’t mean you can’t pay your respects to those who have died while in service to America.
Lawmakers call on VA to lift restriction at national cemeteries for Memorial Day
The National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program allows you to memorialize the fallen by visiting the Veterans Legacy Memorial.
The online database provides a tribute page for each of the nearly 4 million service members and veterans who are interred at national cemeteries across the country.
All VA national cemeteries will be open Memorial Day weekend from dawn to dusk for public visitation. Some have announced restrictions on visitation. At Arlington National Cemetery, only family pass holders will be permitted inside.
Family pass holders only this Memorial Day weekend at Arlington National Cemetery
Cemetery visitors are asked to adhere to health and safety guidelines and maintain physical distancing while visiting. They are also urged to consider visiting Friday, Saturday, or Sunday to avoid possible crowds on Memorial Day, VA said. Families may still continue the tradition of placing flowers and small American flags at their veteran’s gravesite.
If you have a service member you wish to honor, you can search for them online at the Veterans Legacy Memorial and leave a comment as a lasting tribute on their memorial page.