Golden Gate National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
San Bruno, California
San Bruno is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 41,114 at the 2010 census.The city is adjacent to San Francisco International Airport and Golden Gate National Cemetery.-Geography:San Bruno is located at...
, San Mateo County
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
, 12 miles (19 km) south of San Francisco. Because of the name and location, it is frequently confused with San Francisco National Cemetery
San Francisco National Cemetery
San Francisco National Cemetery is a U.S. National Cemetery, located in the Presidio of San Francisco, California. Because of the name and location, it is frequently confused with Golden Gate National Cemetery, a few miles south of the city....
, which dates to the 19th century and is in the Presidio of San Francisco
Presidio of San Francisco
The Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
, in view of the Golden Gate
Golden Gate
The Golden Gate is the North American strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Since 1937 it has been spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge...
. Around 1937, San Francisco residents voted to bar the opening of new cemeteries within the city proper and, as a result, the site for the new national cemetery was selected south of the city limits.
History
CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
authorized construction of the facility in 1937, with the first interments in 1941. The cemetery was officially dedicated on Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
, May 30, 1942. California Attorney General
California Attorney General
The California Attorney General is the State Attorney General of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" The Attorney General carries out the responsibilities of the office through the California Department of Justice.The...
Earl Warren
Earl Warren
Earl Warren was the 14th Chief Justice of the United States.He is known for the sweeping decisions of the Warren Court, which ended school segregation and transformed many areas of American law, especially regarding the rights of the accused, ending public-school-sponsored prayer, and requiring...
(later Governor of California
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
and Chief Justice of the United States
Chief Justice of the United States
The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
) was keynote speaker at the ceremony. Golden Gate is one of a large number of U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
-planned cemeteries started in the 1930s and completed during the 1940s. They were designed specifically to provide abundant burial opportunities in locations around the nation in cities with very large veteran populations.
As of 2005, the cemetery held 137,435 interments. Over the years, several attempts to expand Golden Gate National Cemetery were met with resistance from local residents, so it has remained at its original 161.5 acres (654,000 m²) since 1941.
Ironically, a number of service members who are buried at the Golden Gate National Cemetery were interned in the stables at the nearby Tanforan Racetrack
Tanforan Racetrack
Tanforan Racetrack in San Bruno, California was a thoroughbred horse racing facility that operated from September 4, 1899 to July 31, 1964. Tanforan was constructed to serve a clientele from the nearby city of San Francisco. The facility was named after Toribio Tanforan, the grandson-in-law of Jose...
during the early part of the Japanese American internment
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
.
Monuments and memorials
The American Veterans donated a Schulmerich carillonCarillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
to the cemetery as part of their worldwide living memorial carillon program. The carillon was dedicated May 30, 1958.
Medal of Honor Recipients
(Dates are of the actions for which they were awarded the Medal of HonorMedal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
.)
- Corporal Edward A. BennettEdward A. BennettEdward A. Bennett, Jr. was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
(World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
), U.S. Army, Company B, 358th Infantry, 90th Infantry Division. HeckhuscheidHeckhuscheidHeckhuscheid is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.-References:...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, February 1, 1945 (Section 2B, Grave 1071-A).
- Master Sergeant Vito R. BertoldoVito R. BertoldoVito R. Bertoldo was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
(World War II), U.S. Army, Company A, 242nd Infantry, 42nd Infantry. HattenHattenHatten is a municipality in Oldenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated southeast of Oldenburg, on the North-West edge of the Wildeshausen Geest Nature Park. Apart from the aesthetically and ecologically attractive countryside it exhibits, the municipality is modern and future-oriented...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, January 9–10, 1945 (Section C, Grave 52-A).
- Chief Gunner’s Mate John Joseph Clausey U.S. NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. On board the USS BenningtonUSS Bennington (PG-4)USS Bennington was a member of the of steel-hulled, twin-screw gunboats in the United States Navy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was the first U.S. Navy ship named in honor of the town of Bennington, Vermont, site of the Battle of Bennington in the American Revolutionary War.The...
(PG-4), July 21, 1905 (Section C, Grave 121-B).
- Corporal John O. Dahlgren (Boxer RebellionBoxer RebellionThe Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
), U.S. Marine Corps. Peking, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, June 20 – July 16, 1900 (Section Z, Grave 1950).
- Private John Francis DeSwan (Spanish–American War), Company H, 21st U.S. Infantry21st Infantry Regiment (United States)The 21st Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment.-Lineage:*Constituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry*Organized 20 May 1862 at Fort Hamilton, New York...
. Santiago de CubaSantiago de CubaSantiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
, July 1, 1898 (Section R, Grave 195-A).
- Private Mosheim FeasterMosheim FeasterFirst Lieutenant Mosheim Feaster was an American soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 7th U.S. Cavalry during the Indian Wars...
(Indian WarsIndian WarsAmerican Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
), Company E, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Wounded Knee CreekWounded Knee CreekWounded Knee Creek is a tributary of the White River, approximately long, in southwestern South Dakota in the United States. Its Lakota name is '....
, S.D.South DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, December 29, 1890 (Section O, Grave 319).
- Sergeant Paul H. FosterPaul H. FosterPaul Hellstrom Foster was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam in October 1967.-Biography:...
(Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
), U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. Near Con ThienCon ThienCon Thien , was a United States Marine Corps combat base located near the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone about 3 km from North Vietnam...
, Republic of Vietnam, October 14, 1967 (Section V, Grave 4764).
- Sergeant Edward H. GibsonEdward H. GibsonEdward H. Gibson was a United States Army Sergeant received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Philippine-American War. He was awarded the Medal for the same action as Corporal Antoine Gaujot. The Medal was received for actions on December 19, 1899 at the Battle of Paye near Mateo during...
(Philippine–American War), Company M, 27th Infantry27th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 27th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the Wolfhounds, is a unit of the United States Army established in 1901, that served in the Philippine-American War, in the Siberian Intervention after World War I, and as part of the 25th Infantry Division during World War II, the Korean War, and later the...
, U.S. Volunteers. San Mateo, RizalSan Mateo, RizalSan Mateo, Rizal is a first class urban municipality of Rizal Province. Located on the island of Luzon, San Mateo is one of 13 municipalities and a capital city that make up the Province of Rizal, Region 4-A of the Philippines. San Mateo is part of the Metro Luzon Urban Beltway...
, Philippine Islands, December 19, 1899 (Section L, Grave 7791).
- Private First Class Harold GonsalvesHarold GonsalvesPrivate First Class Harold Gonsalves was a United States Marine who sacrificed his life to save fellow Marines in the Battle of Okinawa during World War II...
(World War II), U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Ryukyu IslandsRyukyu IslandsThe , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
, April 15, 1945 (Section B, Grave 61).
- Captain Nelson M. HoldermanNelson M. HoldermanNelson Miles Holderman was an officer in the United States Army most notable for commanding a company of the Lost Battalion during World War I for which he received the Medal of Honor...
(World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
), U.S. Army, 307th Infantry, 77th Division. ArgonneMeuse-Argonne OffensiveThe Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
, France, October 2–8, 1918 (Section R, Grave 17).
- Machinist's Mate William R. Huber, U.S. Navy. On board the USS Bruce, June 11, 1928 (Section 2B, Grave 4085).
- Boatswain’s Mate First Class Reinhardt J. KepplerReinhardt J. KepplerReinhardt John Keppler, was an American navy serviceman who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II.-Early life and military service:...
(World War II), U.S. Navy. On board the USS San FranciscoUSS San Francisco (CA-38)USS San Francisco , a New Orleans-class heavy cruiser, was the second ship of the United States Navy named after the city of San Francisco, California. She saw extensive action during World War II....
(CA-38), November 12–13, 1942 (Section C, Grave 379).
- Seaman Hugh P. MullinHugh P. MullinHugh Patrick Mullin was an Seaman in the United States Navy and a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions in the Philippine-American War.-Medal of Honor citation:...
(Philippine-American War), U.S. Navy. On board the USS TexasUSS Texas (1892)USS Texas was a second-class pre-dreadnought battleship built by the United States in the early 1890s. She was the first American battleship and the first ship named in honor of the state of Texas to be built by the United States...
, November 11, 1899 (Section A-2, Grave 294).
- Private First Class Stuart S. StrykerStuart S. StrykerStuart S. Stryker was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
(World War II), U.S. Army, Company E, 513th Parachute Infantry, 17th Airborne Division. Near WeselWeselWesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, March 24, 1945 (Section B, Grave 719).
- Private First Class Robert H. YoungRobert H. YoungRobert H. Young was a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 9, 1950. Young is buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California.-Medal of Honor citation:Rank and organization: Private First...
(Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
), U.S. Army, Company E., 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. North Of KaesongKaesongKaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...
, KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, October 9, 1950 (Section O, Grave 8).
Other burials
- Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz is buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery. A number of distinguished officers who served under him are also buried there: Admirals Raymond A. SpruanceRaymond A. SpruanceRaymond Ames Spruance was a United States Navy admiral in World War II.Spruance commanded US naval forces during two of the most significant naval battles in the Pacific theater, the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea...
, Richmond K. TurnerRichmond K. Turner-Footnotes:...
, and Charles A. LockwoodCharles A. LockwoodCharles Andrews Lockwood was an admiral of the United States Navy. He is known in submarine history as the legendary commander of Submarine Force Pacific Fleet during World War II...
, by an arrangement made by all of them while living.
- Film character actor Percy KilbridePercy KilbridePercy W. Kilbride was an American character actor. The son of Irish immigrants, he made a career of playing country hicks, most memorably as Pa Kettle in the Ma and Pa Kettle series of feature films.-Career:...
, best known role was as 'Pa Kettle' in the "Ma & Pa Kettle" comedy film series of the 1950s.
- Career naval officer Captain Edward L. Beach, SrEdward L. Beach, Sr.Edward Latimer Beach, Sr., was a career American naval officer and later author. He served in three of the United States' wars, ranging from the Spanish–American War up through World War I. He was the father of the future Captain Edward L. Beach, Jr...
.
- The 44 German and Italian prisoners-of-war interred here were captured in North Africa after the collapse of the German Afrika KorpsAfrika KorpsThe German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
under the command of Fieldmarshal Erwin RommelErwin RommelErwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
in 1943. The POWs were housed at Camp Beale and Camp Cook in CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Camp RupertCamp RupertCamp Rupert was a World War II prisoner of war camp near Paul, Idaho. It was built for $1.5 million, which was everything needed for a city of 3,000: barracks, water, sewer, and a hospital. The first POWs were Italian and were received in May 1944...
in IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, where they were originally buried at the respective post cemeteries. When the posts closed, the POWs were re-interred at Golden Gate.
- Fantasy author and Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran David A. HargraveDavid A. HargraveDavid Allen Hargrave , known as The Dream Weaver, was a prolific and sometimes controversial game designer and writer of fantasy and science fiction role-playing games...
.
- Leo RyanLeo RyanLeo Joseph Ryan, Jr. was an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as a U.S. Representative from California's 11th congressional district from 1973 until he was murdered in Guyana by members of the Peoples Temple shortly before the Jonestown Massacre in 1978.After the Watts Riots...
, the first member of U.S. Congress to have been killed in the line of duty while serving as a member of that body.
- Oliver SippleOliver SippleOliver "Billy" W. Sipple was a decorated US Marine and Vietnam War veteran widely known for saving the life of US President Gerald Ford during an assassination attempt by Sara Jane Moore in San Francisco on September 22, 1975...
, a Marine Vietnam War veteran who thwarted an assassination attempt on President Gerald FordGerald FordGerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
by Sara Jane MooreSara Jane MooreSara Jane Moore attempted to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford on September 22, 1975, outside the St...
on September 22, 1975 in San Francisco, California.
- Dan WhiteDan WhiteDaniel James "Dan" White was a San Francisco supervisor who assassinated San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, on Monday, November 27, 1978, at City Hall...
, a paratrooper in the Vietnam War and a former San Francisco County Supervisor. He assassinated San Francisco County Supervisor Harvey MilkHarvey MilkHarvey Bernard Milk was an American politician who became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors...
and San Francisco Mayor George MosconeGeorge MosconeGeorge Richard Moscone was an American attorney and Democratic politician. He was the 37th mayor of San Francisco, California, US from January 1976 until his assassination in November 1978. Moscone served in the California State Senate from 1967 until becoming Mayor. In the Senate, he served as...
on November 27, 1978.
- Percy NorthcroftPercy NorthcroftPercy Wilfred Northcroft was an American football player and Naval officer. He played tackle for the Navy Midshipmen football team from 1905 to 1908 and was selected as an All-American in 1906 and 1908. He later served as an officer in the U.S. Navy.-Biography:Northcroft was a native of...
, an All-American football player in 1906 and 1908 for the United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval AcademyThe United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...