| Post: | Department of Veteran Affairs Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs (USM) |
| Appointer: | The President |
| Department: | National Cemetery Administration |
| Insignia: | US National Cemetery Administration logo stacked.png |
| Incumbent: | Ronald E. Walters |
| Incumbentsince: | May 23, 2024 |
| Acting: | y |
| Insigniasize: | 300px |
| Formation: | March 15, 1989 as Under Secretary |
| Constituting Instrument: | § 1000 of the National Cemeteries Act,, as amended |
| Reports To: | Secretary of Veterans Affairs |
| Appointer Qualified: | with Senate advice and consent |
| Precursor: | Director of the National Cemetery System |
| Style: | The Honorable |
| Salary: | Executive Schedule, Level III ($187,300 USD (2022)) |
| Deputy: | Principal Deputy Under Secretary |
| Flag: | Flag of the United States Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs.svg |
The Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs is a senior position within the United States Department of Veterans Affairs that directs the National Cemetery Administration, which maintains 150 national cemeteries and provides burial services for veterans of the United States military and eligible family members.
The Under Secretary is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
On April 19, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Matthew T. Quinn to become the next Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Memorial Affairs. Quinn was confirmed by the Senate on June 17, 2021, by voice vote.[1] He was sworn into office on June 23, 2021 by Secretary Denis McDonough.[2] Quinn resigned in May 2024 and was succeeded by acting secretary Ronald E. Walters.[3]
In addition to the maintenance and operation of national cemeteries, the Under Secretary is also responsible for their land acquisition, design, and construction. Other memorial programs overseen by the Under Secretary include the provision of headstones, markers, and Presidential Memorial Certificates—engraved paper certificates signed by the current president—to honor deceased veterans' service. The Under Secretary also administers federal grants to help states establish state veterans' cemeteries.[4]
The position was created by the Veterans Programs Enhancement Act of 1998, which was signed by President Clinton on November 11, 1998. As a result of the Act, the organization led by a Director, the National Cemetery System, evolved from an agency into an administration led by an Under Secretary when it was renamed to the National Cemetery Administration.[5] From April 1998 to early September 2000, a series of Acting Directors and Acting Under Secretaries headed the Administration. Two of these were Roger R. Rapp and Mike Walker, with the latter later being confirmed by the United States Senate.[6] [7] They were followed by Under Secretaries Robin Higgins and John W. Nicholson.[8]
Originally, the position was Chief Memorial Affairs Director and then director of the National Cemetery System.[9]
Public Law 105-368 (November 11, 1998) changed the National Cemetery System, headed by a Director, to the National Cemetery Administration, headed by the Under Secretary of Memorial Affairs.[9]
The following individuals served as director or under secretary:[9]
| Portrait | Secretary | Took office | Left office | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rufus Harold Wilson | February 8, 1974 | January 23, 1975 | |||
| John W. Mahan | January 23, 1975 | January 28, 1977 | acting director from August 1973 – January 1977 | ||
| Carl Thomas Noll | May 9, 1977 | January 27, 1981 | died in office | ||
| Paul Takeo Bannai | December 7, 1981 | September 30, 1985 | |||
| Wilfred Louis Ebel | July 1987 | April 1989 | |||
| Jo Ann Krukar Webb | October 10, 1989 | November 1991 | |||
| Allen B. Clark, Jr. | November 22, 1991 | January 19, 1993 | |||
| Jerry Wayne Bowen | May 20, 1993 | April 3, 1998 | |||
| Robert "Mike" Walker | September 8, 2000 | January 2001 | |||
| Robin L. Higgins | May 24, 2001 | September 1, 2002 | |||
| John W. "Jack" Nicholson | April 11, 2003 | January 19, 2005 | |||
| William F. Tuerk | October 28, 2005 | January 19, 2009 | |||
| Steve L. Muro | June 6, 2011 | June 22, 2014 | was acting under secretary from January 19, 2009 until appointed as permanent under secretary | ||
| Randy Reeves | December 13, 2017 | January 20, 2021 | |||
| Ronald E. Walters | January 20, 2021 | June 23, 2021 | acting under secretary | ||
| Matthew T. Quinn | June 23, 2021 | May 23, 2024 | |||
| Ronald E. Walters | May 23, 2024 | Present | acting under secretary |