Tribal Veteran Representatives
Timothy Spain
Director, First Notice of Death Office
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Briefing Agenda
• Burial benefits overview
• Veterans cemeteries in Indian Country
• Opportunities to establish new cemeteries
through VA’s Veterans Cemetery Grants
Program
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Our Mission
The National Cemetery Administration
honors Veterans and their families
with final resting places
in national shrines and
lasting tributes that commemorate their
service and sacrifice to our Nation.
3
Our Vision
To be the model of excellence
for burial and memorials
for our Nation’s Veterans and their families.
4
American Customer
Satisfaction Index (ACSI)
• In 2013, NCA again achieved the highest
ranking of any participating organization
• Fifth consecutive time in 13 years!
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Percentage of Vets Served*
100
90
% of Veterans Served
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
FY01
FY04
FY07
FY12
FY17
Fiscal Year
*By an open national, state or tribal Veterans cemetery within 75 miles of home
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Veterans Serving Veterans
• Veterans
serving
Veterans
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
-Over 74% of
NCA employees
are Vets
-Highest % in
any Federal
agency
-Includes 450+
returning
Veterans from
Iraq and
Afghanistan
Southwest Asia Service Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Exp. Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
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Outreach
We use the Web, Twitter,
Facebook, applications for
handheld devices, and face-toface contact to reach Veterans,
families and the funeral industry
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Targeted Outreach
• Outreach, FY12/13
-National Congress of American Indians Annual
National Convention
-Gathering of Nations Pow Wow, Indian Trader's
Market
-SAIGE Annual Training Conference
-USET Semi-Annual Meeting
• American Indian representation on
Secretary’s Advisory Committee on
Cemeteries and Memorials
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Improving Cultural Competency
• Increasing workforce representation of
American Indians/Alaska Natives in NCA
-More than doubled from FY2010-2013
-Still underrepresented, though
• Longstanding relationships with SAIGE,
American Indian Science and Engineering
Society (AISES) and Minority Access, Inc.
to assist with AI/AN recruitment and
retention
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Our Responsibilities
• Provide burial space for Veterans and eligible family
members and maintain national cemeteries as national
shrines
• Administer the Federal grants program for construction of
state and tribal Veterans cemeteries
• Furnish headstones, markers and medallions for the
graves of Veterans around the world
• Administer the Presidential Memorial Certificate program
• Administer the First Notice of Death program
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Caring for our History
Navajo code talker Roy Hawthorne stands next to the code
talker monument unveiled March 21, 2013
at Santa Fe National Cemetery, New Mexico
(Photo credit: Eddie Moore/ABQ Journal)
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Strategy to Meet
Burial Needs of Veterans
Extend the
service life
of existing
cemeteries
New Columbarium
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery,
St. Louis, MO
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Strategy to Meet
Burial Needs of Veterans
• Develop new
national cemeteries
• Five new national
cemeteries planned
• Urban initiative
• Rural initiative
Sarasota National Cemetery, FL
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Future
National Cemetery Construction
Omaha, NE
Chicago
area
Western NY
area
San Francisco
area
Southern CO
area
Los Angeles
area
Indianapolis
area
New York
City area
Tallahassee, FL
Scottsmoor, FL
New National Cemetery
Urban
Initiative
Urban
Initiative
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Rural Initiative
MT
ND
ME
ID
WY
WI
UT
NV
National Veterans Burial Grounds
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Burial Benefits
• Gravesite
• Opening and closing of the grave
• Grave liner
• Perpetual care of the gravesite
• Headstone, marker or medallion
• U.S. Flag
• Presidential Memorial Certificate
150 Years of Keeping the Promise
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Eligibility Criteria
• Any member of the U.S. Armed Forces who dies
• on active duty
• Any Veteran who was discharged under conditions
• other than dishonorable
• National Guard members and Reservists with 20 years of
• qualifying service, who are entitled to retired pay
• Spouses and minor children
• Certain eligible parents (Corey Shea Act)
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Legislation
H.R. 3219, Veterans’ Benefits Act of 2010
• Allows a parent whose child gave their life in
service to our country to be buried in a national
cemetery with that child when their veteran child
has no living spouse or children
• Increase burial and funeral benefits and burial plot
allowances for Veterans who are eligible for a burial
at a national cemetery or who died in a V.A. facility
from $300 to $700
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The “Corey Shea Act”
Expanded Eligibility for Certain Parents
On October 13, 2010, Section 502 of Public Law 111-275 authorized VA to extend
burial eligibility in VA national cemeteries to parents of certain deceased service
members in the same grave with their deceased service member child. Parent
eligibility is not retroactive.
The service member must meet each of the following requirements:
○ died on or after October 7, 2001, as a hostile casualty or from trainingrelated injuries;
○ is interred in a VA national cemetery, in a gravesite with available space;
○ and, has no spouse, surviving spouse, or child who is buried, or who, upon
death, may be eligible for burial, in a VA national cemetery.
The parent must be a biological or legally adoptive parent who died on or after
October 13, 2010.
All eligibility determinations are made at time of need.
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Capital Crime Prohibition Statute
• Title 38, United States Code, section 2411 prohibits interment
or memorialization of persons who have committed federal or
State capital crimes
• Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), section 38.617
addresses cases where there is a Notice of Conviction
• Title 38, CFR, section 38.618 addresses cases where there is no
Notice of Conviction due to death or flight to avoid
prosecution – e.g. murder / suicides
• Only applies to the perpetrator and does not affect eligibility
of other family members
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Right to Appeal
• Veterans and other claimants for VA burial benefits have the right to
appeal decisions made by VA regarding eligibility for national
cemetery burial or other memorial benefits.
• A claimant has one year from the date of the notification of a VA
decision to file an appeal. The first step in the appeal process is for a
claimant to file a written notice of disagreement with the NCA office
that made the decision.
• Following receipt of the written notice, VA will furnish the claimant a
“Statement of the Case” describing what facts, laws, and regulations
were used in deciding the case. To complete the request for appeal,
the claimant must file a “Substantive Appeal” within 60 days of the
mailing of the Statement of the Case, or within one year from the
date VA mailed its decision, whichever period ends later.
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Memorial
Programs Service
Memorial Programs Service
352,365 Headstones
and Markers Provided
719,094 Presidential
Memorial Certificates
Medallion
7,470 Provided
Headstones and Markers



Application available on line at
http://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA40-1330.pdf
FAX applications to 1-800-455-7143.
MAIL applications to:
Memorial Programs Service (41A1)
Department of Veterans Affairs
5109 Russell Road Quantico, VA 22134-3903
Veteran Medallion Benefit
P.L. 110-157
• Became available to the public in June 2010
–
–
–
–
Branch of Service
3 sizes; 5, 3 and 1.5 inches
In lieu of a headstone or marker
Death on or after November 1, 1990
Bronze Veteran Medallion
• Application available on line at
http://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/
VA40-1330M.pdf
Presidential Memorial Certificate
• For honorably
discharged Veterans
• Inscribed with
the Veteran’s name
• Bears the
President’s signature
Presidential Memorial Certificate



Application available on line at
http://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA40-0247.pdf
FAX applications to 1-800-455-7143.
MAIL applications to:
Presidential Memorial Certificates (41A1C)
National Cemetery Administration
5109 Russell Road Quantico, VA 22134-3903
Communicating With MPS

Applicant Assistance Unit
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


IRIS


Toll-Free Telephone Number 1-800-697-6947
Received 86,531 calls in FY 2010
Average Speed of Answer 1:20 (mm:ss)
VA’s Internal Email Routing System that allows NCA/MPS to
respond to questions routed from the VA website
MPS Email

MPS’ email address to respond to inquiries from the public

@ mps.headstones@va.gov
First Notice of
Death
First Notice of Death Office (FNOD)
“By entering FNOD information, cancelling compensation payments, and
communicating with family members. The FNOD program ensures overpayments of
compensation are reduced or eliminated, family members receive timely and accurate
information concerning possible entitlement to survivor benefits ,and medical
appointments for deceased veterans are cancelled, thereby freeing up time and
resources to serve other veterans.”
FY 2013– 705,603 NODs Processed
369,214 Flag Applications
93,000 NCA Burial Records
129,447 Headstone/Marker Records
70,139 Insurance Records
7,966 Arlington NC
31, 262 VHA
FY 2013 – $57.2 million in overpayments avoided through timely processing of
Veterans’ Notice of Death
•To report a Notice of Death call your local VA Regional Office at 1-800-827-1000
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Veterans Cemetery
Grants Program
Veterans Cemetery Grants Program
• 90 operational state
and tribal cemeteries
in 45 states, Guam
and Saipan
• Over $500 million in
grants awarded since
program inception
• 32,000 burials
in FY13
Grant Award Presentation
BG William C. Doyle Veterans
Memorial Cemetery, Wrightstown, N.J.,
November 2012
150 Years of Keeping the Promise
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National Cemeteries
in Indian Country
Entrance Gate Memorial
Cemetery of AZ
Memorial walkway at the Memorial
Cemetery of AZ
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National Cemeteries
in Indian Country
Tahoma National Cemetery,
Kent, Washington
National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona,
Phoenix
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National Cemeteries
in Indian Country
Santa Fe National Cemetery,
New Mexico
Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas
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Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
• Tribal Government grants
- Law enacted December 2006 (PL 109-461 Sec.403)
 Made tribal organizations eligible for cemetery
establishment grants on tribal trust lands
-First grants awarded in 2011
 5 awarded to-date
-Awarded annually, in same manner as states
-Opportunity to serve additional Veterans
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Grants Process
• Submit pre-application through grants.gov by
July 1st .
• Upon receipt VCGS will issue a viability letter to
the applicant explaining next steps.
• Grant Opportunity can be searched using (CFDA)
Number 64.203, www.federalgrants.com.
• To receive the highest consideration the pre-application
must include Certification of State or Tribal Matching
Funds and State or Tribal Legislation supporting the
project.
Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
• National cemeteries allow all eligible Veterans to
be interred at national cemeteries
• States have the option to have a residency
requirement as an additional eligibility
requirement for their cemeteries
-e.g., Must have lived in state for 2 years
• Tribal governments may add tribal requirements
-e.g., Any Sioux Veteran may be interred
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Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
• Tribal Veterans cemeteries aim to honor tribal
customs and traditions, such as:
– Use of tribal symbols
– Longer committal services
– Graveside burials
– Areas to tie-up horses
– Areas for traditional burials
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Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
First Operational VA-funded Tribal Veterans Cemetery
Monte Calvario Cemetery, Tucson, Arizona
Pascua Yaqui Tribe
Dedicated Veterans Day 2011
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Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Grant Award and Groundbreaking Ceremony
Sicangu Akicita Owicahe (Veterans Cemetery)
Near Mission, South Dakota
Rosebud Sioux Tribe
September 2011
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Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Sicangu Akicita Owicahe (Veterans Cemetery)
Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Dedicated 2013
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Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Under Construction; Projected Opening FY2014
Tribal Veterans Cemetery
Humboldt County, California
Yurok Tribe
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Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country
Under Construction; Projected Opening FY2014
Lakota Freedom Veterans Cemetery
Pine Ridge, South Dakota
Oglala Sioux Tribe
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Veterans Cemetery Grants Service
Contact List
•
George D. Eisenbach Jr, Acting Director
george.eisenbach@va.gov
(202) 632-7369
•
Howard Orr, Project Manager
howard.orr@va.gov
(202) 632-7203
•
Tom Paquelet, Project Manager
thomas.paquelet@va.gov
(202) 632-7202
•
LaQuisha Barnes, Program Specialist
LaQuisha.barnes@va.gov
(202) 632-8001
Partners in Honoring
Our Fallen Warriors
Native American Honor Guard,
Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis, South Dakota
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Please keep in touch!
To stay current with NCA:
Visit our Website www.cem.va.gov
Follow us on Twitter
@VANatCemeteries
Become a fan on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/NationalCemeteries
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