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Veterans Legacy Program (VLP)
The Veterans Legacy Program (VLP) commemorates our nation's Veterans and Service Members through the discovery and sharing of their stories. VLP encourages students and teachers around the country at the University and K-12 levels to immerse themselves in the rich historical resources found within VA's National Cemeteries and VA Grant funded cemeteries.
NCA established the Veterans Legacy Program (VLP) on Memorial Day 2016 to fulfill our mission to memorialize Veterans in perpetuity, and to do that in innovative and engaging ways. Many Americans are unaware that NCA operates 155 national cemeteries, with more being added regularly. These cemeteries are spread throughout the country, in major cities and small towns. Each uniquely reflects the community where it resides.
VIDEO: Veterans Legacy Program
In its inaugural year, VLP worked with three universities, engaging students and scholars in researching and sharing the histories of Veterans in their communities: San Francisco State University, Black Hills State University, and the University of Central Florida.
Also for the 2016-17 academic year, VLP was proud to work with the American Battle Monuments Commission on the Understanding Sacrifice program.* NCA & ABMC teamed up with National History Day* and George Mason University to create a unique program of teacher education. Through a competitive selection process, teachers from around the country joined the program, researching "fallen heroes" from their hometown and creating lesson plans about them. These teachers also had the opportunity to visit the gravesite of their fallen hero and give a eulogy of them.*
VLP has facilitated the discovery of nearly 1,000 Veterans' stories which have been researched and shared by 260 K-12 teachers, 9,000 K-12 students, 55 professors, and 200 college students. As proud as VLP is of this success, there is still much more great work to be done. We look forward to continued growth and more Veterans' stories to be shared and remembered.
⇒ Beaufort National Cemetery: Resources about the Civil War in Beaufort, SC and the National Cemetery System.
⇒ Florida National Cemetery: Extensive resources about Florida National Cemetery, developed in conjunction with the University of Central Florida.*
⇒ National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific: Video about NMCP, more affectionately known as the "Punchbowl", and other videos developed at San Francisco State University.
⇒ Riverside National Cemetery: Resources about service men and women buried at Riverside National Cemetery and the National Cemetery System.
⇒ South Dakota Cemeteries: Extensive resources developed by faculty and students at Black Hills State University, about Veterans interred at Black Hills National Cemetery, Fort Meade National Cemetery, Hot Springs National Cemetery, Akicita Owicahe Lakota Freedom Veterans Cemetery, and Sicangu Akicita Owicahe Veterans Cemetery.
* External Link Disclaimer: This page contains links that will open in a new tab and take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites.
Program (VLP)
National Cemetery Administration
Attn: General Inquiries
810 Vermont Avenue
Washington, DC 20420
MyVA411 main information line:
800-698-2411
