San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, Military cemetery in Santa Nella, Merced County, United States.

San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery is a military cemetery in Santa Nella that spreads across a large area with native oak trees and almond orchards nearby. Burial sections are distributed across the open landscape where visitors can see the wider California terrain.

In 1989 the Romero Ranch Company donated land to the Department of Veterans Affairs for a national cemetery. The first phase covered 105 acres and was completed in May 1992, providing room for more than 20,000 remains. By fiscal year 2008 the cemetery had recorded 30,054 interments.

The California Korean War Veterans Memorial, erected in 1998, consists of 16 granite monoliths, each 1.5 m tall, set in a circle. Engraved on them are the names of the 2,495 California veterans who died in the Korean War. The cemetery museum holds uniforms, medals and other memorabilia.

The cemetery lies at 32053 West McCabe Road in Santa Nella, off the route between the Bay Area and Los Angeles. The entrance corridor between the two red-tiled buildings leads past the rows of markers to the reflecting pool, so the layout can be read at a glance. The 322-acre grounds hold a small military museum with uniforms and medals; check its opening before planning a stop.

The cemetery holds the California Korean War Veterans Memorial, erected in 1998: 16 granite monoliths, each five feet tall, set in a circle. Engraved on them are the names of the 2,495 Californians who died in the Korean War. The 11th Airborne Memorial, granite and bronze, followed in 2002.