National cemeteries that are overseen by the Department of Veterans Affairs will be open to the public for Memorial Day later this month, but several restrictions will be in place in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The VA’s National Cemetery Administration (NCA) said Tuesday there will not be any large ceremonies on Memorial Day to honor fallen soldiers because of the ongoing pandemic.
People may be asked to wear face masks during visits to VA national cemeteries over the national holiday, depending on local guidelines.
Les Melnyk, a spokesperson for the NCA, told Military.com that “we can’t have mass flag placements” on tombstones in an effort to continue social distancing measures.
There are 142 VA national cemeteries, which hold over 4.7 million veteran gravesites.
The restrictions on VA-run cemeteries differ from Arlington National Cemetery, which is run by the Army.
Arlington has closed its gates to non-family visitors amid the coronavirus outbreak.
A spokesperson for the national cemetery said last week that there had not yet been a decision made on whether the Pentagon will allow public access for the traditional wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Memorial Day.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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