Share your story, today, with “VLM for Living Veterans”

“VLM for Living Veterans” allows Veterans to share their life stories today.

Made possible by the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM), the new online feature is free and it enables Veterans to securely share their photos, autobiographies, military and life milestone achievements, and historical documents about their lives.

All you need to do is sign up for and be approved for a pre-need eligibility determination with VA. Pre-need eligibility is a way to find out if you’re eligible to be buried in a VA national cemetery ahead of time.

VA will keep your personal content secure until you pass and are approved for a burial or memorial benefit. Following approval, your content will become public and appear on your VLM personal page.

Started in 2019 by VA’s National Cemetery Administration, VLM is a digital platform where family and friends of Veterans who have passed can honor their loved ones. Currently, VLM honors nearly 10 million Veterans interred in 156 VA national cemeteries, VA grant-funded cemeteries, National Park Service cemeteries, Department of Defense-managed cemeteries and private cemeteries around the world. VLM expanded its reach in May 2025 to include approximately 200,000 more Veterans who are buried in American Battle Monument Commission cemeteries and memorials.

Army Chaplain and 1st Lt. Lawrence Provost recently created his legacy page. “I signed up because pre-need gives me peace of mind for my family when planning for my burial. The VLM for Living Veteran feature of sharing my story now is a great tool to tell my story the way I want to tell it.”

Since the VLM website launched, users have sent in more than 200,000 tributes and content. NCA moderators review all content submissions before posting to a Veteran’s page to ensure conformity with the VLM User Policy.

VA encourages you to share your story while you are alive and to ensure that your family members, friends and others can appreciate your experiences through your own voice.

For more information about the feature, visit the “VLM for Living Veterans” landing page online or go to www.vlm.cem.va.gov/livingveteranhome. For information about VA burial benefits, visit a VA national cemetery near you or call 800-827-1000. To apply for Pre-Need Eligibility, visit the VA National Cemetery Administration website or go to www.cem.va.gov and click Apply Online.