Veteran help
Veteran Resources in California
Help and community for veterans and military families in California: the state veterans office, 26 VA care sites, 16 veterans cemeteries, 92 veterans posts and clubs and 9 USO centers.
Veterans Crisis Line — Dial 988 then press 1, Text 838255. Free, confidential, 24/7 — you don’t need to be enrolled in VA benefits.
State department of veterans affairs
California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet)
The California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) works to serve California veterans and their families. With nearly 1.6 million veterans living in the State, CalVet strives to ensure that its veterans of every era and their families get the state and federal benefits and services they have...
- Address: 1227 O Street, Sacramento CA 95814
- Phone: 800-952-5626
- Website: www.calvet.ca.gov
State offices help with state benefits (tax exemptions, education, veterans homes) and can connect you with accredited service officers for VA claims. Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
VA health care, Vet Centers & offices
Vet Centers offer free, confidential counseling for combat veterans, military sexual trauma survivors and their families — often without a VA appointment. Always confirm hours by phone.
Find every VA location with current hours at VA.gov/find-locations.
Veterans cemeteries in California
| Cemetery | City | Burials |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield National Cemetery National | Arvin | Open |
| Big Sandy Rancheria Veterans Cemetery State / tribal | Auberry | Open VA Grant |
| Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery National | Benicia | Closed |
| Sacramento Valley National Cemetery National | Dixon | Open |
| Northern California Veterans Cemetery State / tribal | Igo | Open VA Grant |
| Los Angeles National Cemetery National | Los Angeles | Closed |
| Los Angeles National Cemetery Annex National | Los Angeles | Cremation Only |
| Riverside National Cemetery National | Riverside | Open |
| Golden Gate National Cemetery National | San Bruno | Closed |
| Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery National | San Diego | Closed |
| Miramar National Cemetery National | San Diego | Open |
| San Francisco National Cemetery National | San Francisco | Closed |
| San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery National | Santa Nella | Open |
| California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery State / tribal | Seaside | Open VA Grant |
| Mare Island Naval Cemetery National | Vallejo | Closed |
| Yurok Veterans Cemetery State / tribal | Weitchpec | Open VA Grant |
“Open” cemeteries accept new casketed or cremated burials; “Closed” ones may still accept burials in existing family gravesites. Eligible veterans and family members can pre-apply for burial through VA. Source: VA National Cemetery Administration.
USO centers
USO centers at airports and bases are free lounges for active-duty service members, National Guard, reservists and their families — a place to rest, eat and meet.
- USO Travis AFB — Fairfieldmap · uso.org
- Bob Hope Hollywood USO at LAX — Los Angelesmap · uso.org
- Bob Hope USO Ontario — Ontariomap · uso.org
- Bob Hope USO Orange County at John Wayne Airport — Orange Countymap · uso.org
- Bob Hope USO Palm Springs — Palm Springsmap · uso.org
- USO Neil Ash Airport — San Diegomap · uso.org
- USO San Diego Downtown Center — San Diegomap · uso.org
- San Jose International Airport — San Josemap · uso.org
- San Francisco International Airport — San Mateo Countymap · uso.org
Veterans posts, clubs & meeting places
Local VFW posts, American Legion posts, AMVETS, DAV chapters, Marine Corps League detachments and veteran-run cafés are where veterans meet, share a meal and get help with benefits. Most welcome visitors — call ahead or check the post’s website.
Veteran cafés, canteens & community spaces (1)
| Name | City |
|---|---|
| Veterans of Foriegn Wars Post 9327 | Santee |
Posts & clubs (92)
Volunteer in California
- At a VA medical center: escort patients, drive veterans to appointments or visit residents through VA Voluntary Service.
- At a veterans cemetery: join a volunteer honor guard, help with Memorial Day flag placements or lay wreaths in December with Wreaths Across America.
- At a USO center: welcome troops traveling through Fairfield — apply to volunteer.
- With a local post: auxiliaries of the VFW and American Legion welcome family members and supporters.
- With Honor Flight: find the hub that serves California at honorflight.org and escort a veteran to the memorials in Washington, D.C.
- More ideas on our volunteer page.
Map
Recipients from California
158 recipients born in or credited to California.
Places to visitWar memorials & museums
185 memorials and 29 military museums in California.
Get involvedVeterans organizations
National groups with local posts and chapters.
Sources: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (state offices, cemeteries), USO (center locations), OpenStreetMap contributors (posts, cafés and VA facilities; ODbL). Community-mapped details can be out of date — please confirm before visiting. Spotted a missing post? You can add it to OpenStreetMap.