The Veterans Memorial Cemetery is not a national cemetery and is owned and operated by the City of Sonoma, whereas a National Veterans Cemetery is operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which funds the burials for veterans wishing to be interred at those locations. Public cemeteries, such as our Veterans Memorial Cemetery, do not receive government funding for burials and thus must charge to cover operating costs. Many families choose to bury at our Veterans Memorial Cemetery because they prefer to have their loved ones close by, instead of driving distances to the nearest National Veterans Cemeteries.