In the summer of 1862, George F. Root was putting the finishing
touches on the words and music of the "Battle Cry of Freedom" that would be adopted as a
national anthem (in different versions) by both the Union and the Confederacy. It was the
second summer of a terrible war that few had believed would last more than several months.
Thousands had already died at places like Wilson's Creek, Bull Run, Shiloh, and Fort Donelson. On July 17 of that year, Congress enacted legislation that
authorized the President to purchase "cemetery grounds" to be used as national cemeteries
"for soldiers who shall have died in the service of the country." Fourteen cemeteries were
established that first year, including one in the sleepy Maryland town of Sharpsburg where
4,476 Union soldiers were laid to rest after the one day of terrible slaughter that was the
Battle of Antietam. (By way of comparison, approximately 3,000 Americans, British and
Canadians died on June 6, 1944, in the invasion of Normandy). By 1870, the remains of nearly 300,000 Union dead had been
buried in 73 national cemeteries. Most of the cemeteries were located in the southeast,
near the battlefields and campgrounds of the Civil War. After the war, Army crews scoured
the countryside to locate the remains of soldiers who had died in battle. They were buried
with honor in the new national cemeteries, which were enclosed by brick walls and entered by
means of ornate gates. Tragically, however, the identities of nearly half of those who died
in service to the Union and are buried in national cemeteries are unknown.
The National Cemetery Administration has evolved slowly since
the initial period of great challenge associated with the Civil War. All honorably
discharged veterans became eligible for burial in 1873. Cemeteries associated with military
posts on the western frontier, such as Fort McPherson, Nebraska, were added to the system
in the late 19th century. In the 1930s, new national cemeteries were established to
serve veterans living in major metropolitan areas such as New York, Baltimore, Minneapolis,
San Diego, San Francisco, and San Antonio. Several, closely associated with battlefields such as
Gettysburg, were transferred to the National Park Service because of their value in
interpreting the historical significance of the battles. In 1973, Public Law 93-43
authorized the transfer of 82 national cemeteries from the Department of the Army to the
Veterans Administration, now the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Joining with 21 VA
veterans cemeteries located at hospitals and nursing homes, the National Cemetery System
comprised 103 cemeteries after the transfer. On November 11, 1998, the President signed the Veterans Programs
Enhancement Act of 1998 changing the name of the National Cemetery System (NCS) to the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). Today, there are 136 national cemeteries in all. VA, through its
National Cemetery Administration, administers 120 of them. Two national Cemeteries—Arlington
and Soldiers Home—are still administered by the Army. Fourteen national cemeteries are
maintained by the Department of the Interior. More than 2.5 million Americans, including veterans of every war
and conflict—from the Revolutionary War to the Gulf War—are honored by burial in VA's
national cemeteries. More than 14,200 acres of land from Hawaii to Maine, and from Alaska
to Puerto Rico are devoted to the memorialization of those who served this nation. More
than 300 recipients of the Medal of Honor are buried in VA's national cemeteries. In November 2001, VA opened its 120th cemetery—Fort Sill
National Cemetery in Oklahoma. Currently 60 VA cemeteries (in 34 states) are able to provide
the full range of service to America's veterans and their families. An additional 23
provide burial for family members already buried and they can also bury cremated remains. In 1999 and 2003, with the passage of two laws, Congress
directed VA to establish 12 new national cemeteries. One has been opened in Oklahoma.
The rest – one in Alabama, two in California, three in Florida, one in Georgia, one in
Michigan, two in Pennsylvania and one in South Carolina – will be located near large
populations of veterans who currently do not have access to a burial option. In addition to providing a gravesite and a graveliner, VA
opens and closes the grave, provides a headstone or marker, a Presidential Memorial
Certificate, a U.S. Flag, and perpetually cares for the grave at no cost to the veteran's
family. Today, more than 25 million veterans and Reservists and National
Guard members with 20 years qualifying service (who are entitled to retired pay or would
be entitled, if at least 60 years of age), have earned the honor of burial in a national
cemetery. Veterans with discharges other than dishonorable, their spouses and dependent
children may be eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery. Those who die on active
duty may also be buried in a national cemetery. |