The Department of Veterans Affairs is inviting veterans, their families, caregivers, survivors and the public to honor fallen service members at Memorial Day ceremonies at VA National Cemeteries and in surrounding communities nationwide. The agency said its list of events and observances will keep expanding until May 22, 2026.
One of the listed observances is the Veterans Alliance/Friends of the Monument Memorial Day ceremony in El Dorado County, set for May 25, 2026 at 1100 at the Monument, 360 Fair Lane in Placerville, California. The page also urges visitors to verify details with the host organization linked to each event.
For those who cannot attend in person, VA is steering people to the Veterans Legacy Memorial site, where they can leave a tribute and browse stories, decorations and interment locations for more than 10 million veterans. The agency said information on burial and memorial benefits, volunteer opportunities and pre-need burial eligibility applications is available at or by calling 1-800-827-1000.
Memorial Day lands this year as American servicemembers remain deployed around the world, a reminder that the holiday is tied not just to the past but to the military's present. VA's listings are designed to give families and communities a place to gather while also offering a path for people who want to remember from home.
That balance matters because Memorial Day is meant to mark the cost of military service, and the VA is pairing local ceremonies with a national digital memorial so no one is shut out by distance. The most immediate next step is simple: check the event details before leaving home, because the list will keep changing until May 22 and the host organization remains the final word on time and place.
