LDVA's Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, located in Keithville, La., was the first state cemetery to be constructed.
The gates to the cemetery and the bathrooms in the vestibule are always open.
01/12/2026
Did you know?
Louisiana State Veterans Cemeteries offer no-cost burial options for eligible veterans, there is a state benefit special to Louisiana that allows eligible Louisiana National Guard and Reserve members to be buried in a state veterans cemetery at the time of their passing.
Eligible dependents—such as a spouse or dependent child—may also qualify for burial in a state veterans cemetery.
To learn more about eligibility, benefits, and how this may apply to you and your family, contact the Louisiana State Veterans Cemetery you’re interested in directly for details. vetaffairs.la.gov/locations
01/08/2026
Due increment weather predicted this week and out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of everyone we along with Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery Foundation needed to change the RETRIEVAL OF WREATHS date AGAIN. The new retrieval date DUE TO WEATHER IS NOW Thursday January 15, 2026 @ 1:00 PM. We along with Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery Foundation will greatly appreciate your assistance on Thursday January 15, 2026, at 1:00 PM. Thank you.
12/30/2025
Due to Holiday closure the RETRIEVAL OF WREATHS date had to be CHANGE. The new retrieval date is now January 9, 2026 @ 1:00 PM. We along with Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery Foundation will greatly appreciate your assistance on January 9, 2026, at 1:00 PM. Thank you.
12/22/2025
🎄 Holiday Office Closure Notice 🎄
To allow our employees time to spend with family this Christmas season,
Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs offices will be closed
Wednesday, December 24, through Friday, December 26,
and will reopen Monday, December 29.
We wish everyone a safe and joyful Christmas.
12/10/2025
12/10/2025
We along with the Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery Foundation would like to like to Thank EVERYONE that came out in the cold and place participated in Wreaths Across the Cemetery on December 5, 2025.
Every individual/family along with North DeSoto Middle School, North Desoto National Junior Honor Society, Northwest Louisiana Veterans Home, General Dynamics (GDIT), Regions Bank, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority (Mu Omega Zeta Chapter), Keithville 4-H club, Buffalo Soldiers, Progress Insurance, Shreveport Moose Lodge # 2239, and I am sure many others in which everyone did an amazing job. This show of participation and support for the cemetery it is greatly appreciated and honored
Time for picture load. LOL
12/10/2025
The holiday season brings joy for many, but it can also be an incredibly difficult time for some in our military and veteran community.
Some are facing their first holiday without a loved one.
Some are deployed or have a loved one deployed.
Others may be feeling the weight of loneliness, stress, or grief.
As part of the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Su***de Among Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families, we are sharing this updated Louisiana SMVF Resource Card to ensure every service member, veteran, and family member knows that support is here — 24/7.
Please save and share this resource card. You never know who might need it today.
If you or someone you know needs help:
📞 Dial 988, then Press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line
📱 Call 225-219-5000 for LDVA assistance
🌐 Scan the QR code or visit: https://linktr.ee/LaGovernorsChallenge
This holiday season, let’s check on one another, lift up those who may be struggling, and remind our military and veteran families that they are not alone — not during the holidays, and not ever.
12/03/2025
Wreaths Across the Cemetery December 5, 2025@ 1:00 PM will the Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery Foundation
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Contact The Practice
Send a message to Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery:
The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs aids residents of our state who served in the United States Armed Forces during any war, combat, or special periods of service during peacetime, along with their dependents and beneficiaries, in receiving any and all benefits to which they may be entitled under the law of the United States or the states thereof.
In addition, this department also provides nursing care for veterans at five homes, located across the state, in: Bossier City, Jennings, Jackson, Reserve, and Monroe, La. And, operates four veterans cemeteries located across the state, offering a variety of burial options for Veterans, spouses and dependent children. The cemeteries are located, in: Keithville, Leesville, Slidell, Rayville, and, coming soon to Jennings, La.
Joey Strickland was appointed Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs by Governor John Bel Edwards on Jan. 13, 2016. In this position, he is responsible for overseeing five Veterans Nursing Homes, four State Veterans Cemeteries, the department’s Administrative, Contact Assistance, and Claims Divisions, the Military Family Assistance Fund, Veterans Honor Medal Program, and advocacy outreach to our Veterans Service Organizations, homeless, and women Veterans. A large part of his responsibility is advocating on behalf of Louisiana Veterans to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Secretary Strickland is no stranger to VA, having served for more than 15 years as either Director or Deputy Secretary in two states. At the national level, Secretary Strickland served as Chairman of the VA Advisory Committee for Minority Veterans and as President of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA) from 2003-2004. As NASDVA President, he testified before the U.S. Congress on Veterans’ issues.
Secretary Strickland served 28.9 years in the U.S. Army, including two tours of duty in Vietnam. In 1994, he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and was later appointed Colonel in the Louisiana State Guard by Governor Mike Foster, with duty on the Governor’s Military Advisory Board.
His awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal (2nd award), Air Medal (3 awards), Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 7 battle stars, Airborne Medal, and Overseas Ribbon, among others.
Secretary Strickland is married to Leila Hiestand Strickland, an “Army brat”, and they are the proud parents of three sons, all Army soldiers, and twin daughters who are educators.
