World War II Grave Records: Finding WWII Veterans in US Cemeteries

Over 16 million Americans served in World War II, and more than 400,000 died in the conflict. Their graves are scattered across the United States and 26 overseas cemeteries on four continents. Finding your WWII ancestor's burial record is both a genealogical mission and an act of remembrance.

Where WWII Veterans Are Buried

WWII veterans who died in service are in one of three types of burial sites:

• American overseas military cemeteries — 26 cemeteries managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), including Normandy American Cemetery in France and Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines
• US national cemeteries — Veterans who returned home and later died were often buried in VA national cemeteries; some KIA were also repatriated to US national cemeteries at family request
• Local and private cemeteries — Many WWII veterans who survived the war were buried in hometown municipal, church, or private cemeteries

The American Battle Monuments Commission

The ABMC maintains the graves of 124,909 American war dead overseas, the majority from World War II. Their free online database at abmc.gov allows you to search by name and find the exact cemetery and grave location for any American buried under ABMC care.

The ABMC also maintains information on over 94,000 American war dead who are “missing” — those whose remains were never recovered or identified. These are commemorated on Walls of the Missing at each overseas cemetery.

Searching US National Cemetery Records

The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) maintains a Burial Search tool at cem.va.gov that covers all VA national cemeteries. Enter the veteran's name and state to find the cemetery, section, and grave number.

Arlington National Cemetery has its own online database with grave locations and interment history. For WWII veterans buried there, you can find the exact section and grave number, and in many cases view a photo of the headstone.

Military Service Records for WWII Veterans

The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis holds WWII service records. A 1973 fire destroyed approximately 80% of Army records for veterans who were discharged November 1, 1912 through January 1, 1960 — but surviving records for WWII veterans are still significant.

Request records through the Standard Form 180 (SF-180) at the NPRC, or through the online eVetRecs system. Even partial records can provide unit designation, service dates, and discharge information that helps trace burial location.

Finding WWII Veterans in Local Cemeteries

Many WWII veterans who survived the war lived well into the 1980s and 1990s before dying of natural causes. These veterans are buried in local cemeteries across the country — often identifiable by their distinctive white marble military headstones issued by the VA.

• Search local cemetery records with the veteran's name and known hometown
• Look for military symbols on the headstone — a cross, Star of David, or other religious symbol indicates a VA-issued stone for a veteran
• Check GraveMapper for the veteran's surname and hometown state
• Search BillionGraves and FindAGrave, which have extensive photo coverage of veteran headstones

WWII Records at the National Archives

Beyond service records, the National Archives holds extensive WWII-related genealogical materials:

• WWII Draft Registration Cards — available on Ancestry; covers virtually every male born 1877–1929
• WWII Army Enlistment Records — free at aad.archives.gov
• WWII Casualty Lists — National Archives RG 92 contains casualty records for the Army
• POW records — Records of American prisoners of war are in RG 389