San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery: A hidden jewel just off the highway

For years, as I traveled Interstate 5 north and south on my various trips to Sacramento or San Francisco I was routinely tempted by the signs beckoning travelers to exit I-5 and visit the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery and the Korean War Memorial. I finally succumbed, not knowing what I would find in the hinterlands of the Valley, between the San Luis Reservoir and the east side of the Valley.

What I found, after a short drive down a non-descript two-lane road that seemed to lead nowhere in particular, was a gem, an undiscovered jewel – at least from my perspective – and an American monument to our nation’s armed forces veterans.

The San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, located a few miles outside Santa Nella on West McCabe Road, is indeed a majestic monument to those who served this country from World War II to the present day.

Currently a little more than 36,000 veterans have chosen the National Cemetery as their final resting place among the rolling hills and green pastures of a ranch once owned and then donated to the Federal government by the Romero Ranch Company. The Romeros donated the land for the cemetery to the Department of Veterans Affairs on February 3, 1989. Construction on the 105-acre first phase began in July 1990, and the cemetery was completed and dedicated on June 2, 1992.

The cemetery is situated on 322 acres now and is nestled in the foothills of the east side of the Diablo Mountains. From the vista above the cemetery is a flag perpetually lowered to half fast that has a view of the beautiful cemetery as well as nearby San Luis Reservoir. It is a view enjoyed by thousands of visitors each year.

Be careful of the rattlesnakes atop the hill. There are numerous signs posted. In fact I did see one slither beneath a rock that wanted nothing to do with me, and I wanted nothing to do with it.

“They love the location. It is a peaceful location. They view it as kind of an oasis in the middle of the Valley. They like the quiet and the surrounding area. We get very favorable comments about our cemetery,” said Nancy Passarelli, the cemetery’s administrative officer.

More than 1,500 burials occur each year. One Medal of Honor winner is memorialized in the San Joaquin National Cemetery.

“We do our best to outreach to veterans' groups,” said Passarelli ,who helps to oversee the day-to-day operations of the facility. “We go to churches and VA events to distribute our information, and we have a website and we get phone calls daily.”

She said that eligibility is limited to those who served in the military at some point in their lives, but after 1980 a veteran needs to have served for 24 consecutive months. Spouses and children are also eligible to be interned.

“If the spouse is not a veteran they can share a plot. If the spouse is a veteran we will reserve the spot next to the veteran because each veteran is entitled to their own plot,” Passarelli said.

The California Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated August 1, 1998. It is a composition of 16 individual monoliths arranged to form a circle. Each monolith contains the names of Californians who gave their life fighting in the Korean War.

There are other monuments throughout the cemetery, including a granite and bronze monument dedicated on May 11, 2002 in honor of all airborne soldiers. It stands across the entrance drive from the main buildings. The United States Submarine Veterans World War II Memorial was dedicated in 2005 and consists of 65 trees and a granite monument that can be seen by the entrance of the cemetery.

All national cemeteries are immaculate and well kept, and the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery is no exception. “We do have standards and guidelines that we have to follow as far as the look of the cemetery,” said Passarelli.

One can quietly stroll down the wide paths and gaze at monuments, visit a small pond, and marvel at a ponding basin that guards an expansive marble facade highlighting the branches of the Armed Services. At the end of the path is the Korean War Memorial surrounded by rose bushes, all in bloom, showering the granite slabs with a sea of red.

Amidst the rolling hills and green expanse of lawn rest the honored veterans.

This article was originally published on May 25, 2014. The San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery is located at 32053 West McCabe Road in Santa Nella, CA 95322. For information you may call (209) 854-1040 or visit the NCA website at http://www.cem.va.gov.