San Francisco National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
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.
About 1937, San Francisco residents voted to no longer build cemeteries within the city proper and, as a result, the site for a new national cemetery was selected south of the city limits. The cemetery is one of only three within San Francisco city limits (the others being the Columbarium of San Francisco
and the historic graveyard next to Mission Dolores.)
colonized what would become California, this area was selected as the site for a fort, or presidio
, to defend San Francisco Bay
. About 40 families traveled here from northern Mexico
in 1776 and built the first settlement, a small quadrangle, only a few hundred feet west of what is now Funston Avenue. Mexico controlled the Presidio following 1821, but the fort became less important to the Mexican government. In 1835, most soldiers and their families moved north to Sonoma
, leaving it nearly abandoned. During the Mexican-American War, U.S. troops occupied and repaired the damage to the fort.
The mid-century discovery of gold in California
led to the sudden growth and importance of San Francisco, and prompted the U.S. government to establish a military reservation here. By executive order, President Millard Fillmore
established the Presidio for military use in November 1850. During the 1850s and 1860s, Presidio-based soldiers fought Native Americans
in California, Oregon
, Washington, and Nevada
. The outbreak of the American Civil War
in 1861 re-emphasized the importance of California's riches and the military significance of San Francisco's harbor to the Union. This led, in 1862, to the first major construction and expansion program at the Presidio since its acquisition by the United States.
The Indian Wars
of the 1870s and 1880s resulted in additional expansion of the Presidio, including large-scale tree planting and a post beautification program. By the following decade the Presidio had shed its frontier outpost appearance and was elevated to a major military installation and base for American expansion into the Pacific.
In 1890, with the creation of Sequoia
, General Grant and Yosemite National Park
s in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, the protection of these scenic and natural resources was assigned to the U.S. cavalry stationed at the Presidio. Soldiers patrolled these parks during summer months until the start of World War I
in 1914. The Spanish-American War
in 1898 and subsequent Philippine-American War
, from 1899 to 1902, increased the role of the Presidio. Thousands of troops camped in tent cities while awaiting shipment to the Philippines
. Returning sick and wounded soldiers were treated in the Army's first permanent hospital, later renamed Letterman Army General Hospital. In 1914, troops under the command of General John Pershing departed the Presidio for the Mexican border in pursuit of Pancho Villa
and his men.
When the United States entered World War II
after the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor
, Presidio soldiers dug foxholes along nearby beaches. Fourth Army
Commander Gen. John L. DeWitt
conducted the internment of thousands of Japanese and Japanese-Americans on the West Coast while U.S. soldiers of Japanese descent were trained to read and speak Japanese at the first Military Intelligence Service language school organized at Crissy Field
. During the 1950s, the Presidio served as the headquarters for the Nike
missile defense program and headquarters for the U.S. Sixth Army
. The Presidio of San Francisco, encompassing more than 350 buildings with historic value, was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1962. In 1989, the Presidio closed as a military entity and was transferred to the National Park Service
in October 1994.
On December 12, 1884, the War Department
designated 9 acres (36,421.7 m²), including the site of the old post cemetery, as San Francisco National Cemetery. It was the first national cemetery established on the West Coast and marks the growth and development of a system of national cemeteries extending beyond the battlefields of the Civil War. Initial interments included the remains of the dead from the former post cemetery as well as individuals removed from cemeteries at abandoned forts and camps elsewhere along the Pacific coast and western frontier. In 1934, all unknown remains in the cemetery were disinterred and reinterred in one plot. Many soldiers and sailors who died overseas serving in the Philippines, China and other areas of the Pacific Theater
are interred in San Francisco National Cemetery.
The cemetery is enclosed with a stone wall and slopes down a hill that today frames a view of the Golden Gate Bridge
. Its original ornamental cast-iron entrance gates are present but have been unused since the entrance was relocated. Tall eucalyptus
trees further enclose the cemetery. The lodge and rostrum date to the 1920s and reflect the Spanish Revival styling introduced to several western cemeteries.
.)
and Miss Sarah A. Bowman
. Cushman's headstone bears the inscription "Pauline C. Fryer, Union Spy", but her real name was Harriet Wood. Born in the 1830s, she became a performer in Thomas Placide's show Varieties and took the name Pauline Cushman. She married theater musician Charles Dickinson
in 1853, but after her husband died of illness related to his service for Union forces, she returned to the stage. During spring 1863, while performing in Louisville, Ky.
, she was asked by the provost marshal to gather information regarding local Confederate
activity. From there she was sent to Nashville
, where she had some success conveying information about troop strength and movements. In Nashville, she was also captured and nearly hanged as a spy. She returned to the stage in 1864, to lecture and sell her autobiography. Entertainer P.T. Barnum promoted her as the "Spy of the Cumberland" and through Barnum's practiced boostership she quickly gained fleeting fame. After spending the 1870s working the redwood logging camps, she remarried and moved to the Arizona Territory
. By 1893 she was divorced, destitute and desperate; she applied for her first husband's military pension and returned to San Francisco, where she died from an overdose of narcotic
s allegedly taken to soothe her rheumatism. Members of the Grand Army of the Republic
and Women's Relief Corps conducted a magnificent funeral for the former spy. "Major" Cushman's remains reside in Officer's Circle.
Also buried at San Francisco National Cemetery is Sarah Bowman, also known as "Great Western", a formidable woman over 6 feet (1.8 m) tall with red hair and a fondness for wearing pistols. Married to a soldier, she traveled with Zachary Taylor
's troops in the Mexican-American War helping to care for the wounded, for which she earned a government pension. After her husband's death she had a variety of male companions and ran an infamous tavern and brothel in El Paso, Texas
. Bowman left El Paso when she married her last husband. The two ended up at Fort Yuma
, where she operated a boarding house until her death from a spider bite in 1866. She was given a full military funeral and was buried in the Fort Yuma Cemetery. Several years later her body was exhumed and reburied at San Francisco National Cemetery.
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...
of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California
California
California 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...
. Because of the name and location, it is frequently confused with Golden Gate National Cemetery
Golden Gate National Cemetery
Golden Gate National Cemetery is a U.S. National Cemetery, located in the city of San Bruno, San Mateo County, 12 miles south of San Francisco. Because of the name and location, it is frequently confused with San Francisco National Cemetery, which dates to the 19th century and is in the Presidio...
, a few miles south of the city.
About 1937, San Francisco residents voted to no longer build cemeteries within the city proper and, as a result, the site for a new national cemetery was selected south of the city limits. The cemetery is one of only three within San Francisco city limits (the others being the Columbarium of San Francisco
Columbarium of San Francisco
The Neptune Society Columbarium of San Francisco is a repository for human ashes owned and operated by the Neptune Society of Northern California, at One Loraine Court, near Stanyan and Anza Streets, just north of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. Built in 1898 by architect Bernard...
and the historic graveyard next to Mission Dolores.)
History
When SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
colonized what would become California, this area was selected as the site for a fort, or presidio
Presidio
A presidio is a fortified base established by the Spanish in North America between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. The fortresses were built to protect against pirates, hostile native Americans and enemy colonists. Other presidios were held by Spain in the sixteenth and seventeenth...
, to defend San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. About 40 families traveled here from northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 1776 and built the first settlement, a small quadrangle, only a few hundred feet west of what is now Funston Avenue. Mexico controlled the Presidio following 1821, but the fort became less important to the Mexican government. In 1835, most soldiers and their families moved north to Sonoma
Sonoma, California
Sonoma is a historically significant city in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA, surrounding its historic town plaza, a remnant of the town's Mexican colonial past. It was the capital of the short-lived California Republic...
, leaving it nearly abandoned. During the Mexican-American War, U.S. troops occupied and repaired the damage to the fort.
The mid-century discovery of gold in California
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
led to the sudden growth and importance of San Francisco, and prompted the U.S. government to establish a military reservation here. By executive order, President Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president...
established the Presidio for military use in November 1850. During the 1850s and 1860s, Presidio-based soldiers fought Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
in California, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Washington, and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. The outbreak of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in 1861 re-emphasized the importance of California's riches and the military significance of San Francisco's harbor to the Union. This led, in 1862, to the first major construction and expansion program at the Presidio since its acquisition by the United States.
The Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American 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...
of the 1870s and 1880s resulted in additional expansion of the Presidio, including large-scale tree planting and a post beautification program. By the following decade the Presidio had shed its frontier outpost appearance and was elevated to a major military installation and base for American expansion into the Pacific.
In 1890, with the creation of Sequoia
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California, in the United States. It was established on September 25, 1890. The park spans . Encompassing a vertical relief of nearly , the park contains among its natural resources the highest point in the...
, General Grant and Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
s in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, the protection of these scenic and natural resources was assigned to the U.S. cavalry stationed at the Presidio. Soldiers patrolled these parks during summer months until the start of World War I
World War I
World 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...
in 1914. The Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
in 1898 and subsequent Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
, from 1899 to 1902, increased the role of the Presidio. Thousands of troops camped in tent cities while awaiting shipment to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Returning sick and wounded soldiers were treated in the Army's first permanent hospital, later renamed Letterman Army General Hospital. In 1914, troops under the command of General John Pershing departed the Presidio for the Mexican border in pursuit of Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa
José Doroteo Arango Arámbula – better known by his pseudonym Francisco Villa or its hypocorism Pancho Villa – was one of the most prominent Mexican Revolutionary generals....
and his men.
When the United States entered World War II
World War II
World 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...
after the Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, Presidio soldiers dug foxholes along nearby beaches. Fourth Army
U.S. Fourth Army
- History :The Fourth United States Army was organized as Fourth Army in the Organized Reserves in 1922 at New York City, NY. It was withdrawn from the Organized Reserves on 9 August 1932 and allotted to the Regular Army as an inactive unit. It was activated 1 October 1933 and headquartered at the...
Commander Gen. John L. DeWitt
John L. DeWitt
John Lesesne DeWitt was a general in the United States Army, best known for his vocal support of the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II....
conducted the internment of thousands of Japanese and Japanese-Americans on the West Coast while U.S. soldiers of Japanese descent were trained to read and speak Japanese at the first Military Intelligence Service language school organized at Crissy Field
Crissy Field
Crissy Field is a former airfield, now a part of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in San Francisco, California, United States. Historically a part of the Presidio of San Francisco, Crissy Field was closed as an airfield and eventually the National Park Service took control over it...
. During the 1950s, the Presidio served as the headquarters for the Nike
Project Nike
Project Nike was a U.S. Army project, proposed in May 1945 by Bell Laboratories, to develop a line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile system. The project delivered the United States' first operational anti-aircraft missile system, the Nike Ajax, in 1953...
missile defense program and headquarters for the U.S. Sixth Army
U.S. Sixth Army
The Sixth United States Army is a field army of the United States Army.-History:It was first activated in January 1943, commanded by Lieutenant General Walter Krueger. Under the code name Alamo Force, it assumed control of the majority of US Army units involved in Operation Cartwheel, the campaign...
. The Presidio of San Francisco, encompassing more than 350 buildings with historic value, was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1962. In 1989, the Presidio closed as a military entity and was transferred to the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
in October 1994.
On December 12, 1884, the War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
designated 9 acres (36,421.7 m²), including the site of the old post cemetery, as San Francisco National Cemetery. It was the first national cemetery established on the West Coast and marks the growth and development of a system of national cemeteries extending beyond the battlefields of the Civil War. Initial interments included the remains of the dead from the former post cemetery as well as individuals removed from cemeteries at abandoned forts and camps elsewhere along the Pacific coast and western frontier. In 1934, all unknown remains in the cemetery were disinterred and reinterred in one plot. Many soldiers and sailors who died overseas serving in the Philippines, China and other areas of the Pacific Theater
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
are interred in San Francisco National Cemetery.
The cemetery is enclosed with a stone wall and slopes down a hill that today frames a view of the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
. Its original ornamental cast-iron entrance gates are present but have been unused since the entrance was relocated. Tall eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
trees further enclose the cemetery. The lodge and rostrum date to the 1920s and reflect the Spanish Revival styling introduced to several western cemeteries.
Monuments and memorials
- A Grand Army of the RepublicGrand Army of the RepublicThe Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
Memorial (1893) - The Pacific Garrison Memorial (1897)
- A monument to the Marines who died at the Tartar Wall in 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...
(1900) - A monument to the Unknown Dead (1934)
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...
.)
- First Sergeant William AllenWilliam Allen (soldier)William Allen was a U.S. Army soldier who fought during the Indian Wars in the post-American Civil War period. Serving under Lieutenant Colonel George Crook, he participated in expeditions against the Apache in the Arizona Territory throughout the 1870s...
(Indian CampaignsIndian 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 I, 23rd U.S. Infantry23rd Infantry Regiment (United States)The 23rd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army originally formed on June 26th 1812. The 23rd saw action in 14 battles during the War of 1812...
. Turret Mountain, Ariz.ArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, March 27, 1873 (Section OS, Grave 48-2).
- Chief Machinist's Mate William BaddersWilliam BaddersWilliam Badders was a diver in the United States Navy and a recipient of America's highest military decoration - the Medal of Honor.-Biography:...
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...
. At sea following sinking of the USS SqualusUSS Sailfish (SS-192)USS Sailfish , a , was originally named Squalus.Her keel was laid on 18 October 1937 by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, as Squalus, the only ship of the United States Navy named for the squalus. She was launched on 14 September 1938 sponsored by Mrs. Thomas C...
(SS-192), May 13, 1939 (Section A, Grave 788-A).
- Major James Coey (Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
), 147th New York Infantry. Hatchers Run, Va., February 6, 1865 (Section OS, Grave 89-1).
- Sergeant James Congdon (served under the name James Madison) (Civil War), Company E, 8th New York Cavalry. Waynesboro, Va.Waynesboro, VirginiaWaynesboro, deriving its name from General Anthony Wayne, is an independent city surrounded by Augusta County in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 21,006 in 2010.....
, March 2, 1865 (Section OSA, Grave 15-7).
- Second Lieutenant Matthias W. DayMatthias W. DayMatthias W. Day was a career American army officer who received the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration, for his actions during the Indian Wars in the latter half of the 19th century...
(Indian Campaigns), 9th U.S. Cavalry. Las Animas Canyon, N.M., September 18, 1879 (Section OS, Grave 2-11).
- Major General William F. DeanWilliam F. DeanWilliam Frishe Dean, Sr. was a major general in the United States Army during World War II and the Korean War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 20 and 21, 1950, during the Battle of Taejon in South Korea...
(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, commanding general, 24th Infantry Division. Taejon, 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...
, July 20–21, 1950 (Section GHT, Grave 353-B).
- Captain Reginald B. DesiderioReginald B. DesiderioReginald B. Desiderio was a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on November 27, 1950....
(Korean War), U.S. Army, commanding officer, Company E, 27th Infantry Regiment27th 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...
, 25th Infantry Division. Near Ipsok, Korea, November 27, 1950 (Section OS, Grave 128-20).
- Lieutenant Abraham DeSomerAbraham DeSomerAbraham DeSomer was an enlisted man and later an officer in the United States Navy. He received America's highest military decoration - the Medal of Honor - for actions during the American intervention at Veracruz, Mexico.-Biography:Abraham DeSomer was born on December 29, 1884 in Milwaukee,...
(Mexican Campaign), U.S. Navy, USS UtahUSS Utah (BB-31)USS Utah was a battleship that was attacked and sunk in Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. A Florida-class battleship, she was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the U.S. state of Utah...
(BB-31). VeracruzVeracruzVeracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, April 21–22, 1914 (Section MA, Grave 15).
- Colonel Kern W. DunaganKern W. DunaganKern W. Dunagan was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-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. Army, Company A, 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry, Americal DivisionAmerical DivisionThe 23rd Infantry Division, more commonly known as the Americal Division of the United States Army was formed in May 1942 on the island of New Caledonia. In the immediate emergency following Pearl Harbor, the United States had hurriedly sent three individual regiments to defend New Caledonia...
. Republic of Vietnam, May 13, 1969 (Section WS, Grave 117-I).
- Sergeant William FosterWilliam Foster- People :*William Foster , Irish bishop*William Foster , American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient...
(Indian Campaigns), Company F, 4th U.S. CavalryU.S. 4th Cavalry RegimentThe 4th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment, whose lineage is traced back to the mid-19th century. It was one of the most effective units of the Army against Indians on the Texas frontier. Today the regiment exists as separate squadrons within the U.S. Army...
. Red River, Tex., September 29, 1872 (Section WS, Grave 197).
- Colonel Frederick Funston, Sr., (Philippine-American WarPhilippine-American WarThe Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
), 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry. Rio Grande de la Pampanga, LuzonLuzonLuzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, Philippine Islands, April 27, 1899 (Section OS, Grave 68-3).
- Seaman Rade GrbitchRade Grbitch-External links:...
U.S. Navy. 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 A, Grave 44).
- Major Oliver D. Greene (Civil War), U.S. Army. Antietam, Md.Battle of AntietamThe Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
, September 17, 1862 (Section OS, Grave 49-8).
- First Lieutenant John Chowning GreshamJohn Chowning GreshamJohn Chowning Gresham was an officer in the United States Army who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Indian Wars....
(Indian Campaigns), 7th U.S. Cavalry. Wounded Knee, S.D.Wounded Knee MassacreThe Wounded Knee Massacre happened on December 29, 1890, near Wounded Knee Creek on the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, USA. On the day before, a detachment of the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment commanded by Major Samuel M...
, December 29, 1890 (Section OS, Row 4-A Grave 5).
- Chief Carpenter's Mate Franz Anton ItrichFranz Anton ItrichFranz Anton Itrich was a chief carpenter's mate serving in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.-Biography:...
(Spanish-American WarSpanish-American WarThe Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
), U.S. Navy. On board USS PetrelUSS Petrel (PG-2)|-External links:* at navsource.org...
(PG-2), May 1, 1898 (Section OSA, Grave 83-5).
- Staff Sergeant Robert S. KennemoreRobert S. KennemoreRobert Sidney Kennemore , of Greenville, South Carolina, earned the Medal of Honor during the bitter Chosin Reservoir campaign of November 1950, when he deliberately covered an enemy grenade with his foot to keep his men from being wounded or killed...
(Korean War), U.S. Marine Corps, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 7th MarinesU.S. 7th Marine RegimentThe 7th Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California...
, 1st Marine DivisionU.S. 1st Marine DivisionThe 1st Marine Division is a marine infantry division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is a subordinate unit of the I Marine Expeditionary Force ....
. North of Yudam-ni, 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...
, November 27–28, 1950 (Section H, Grave CA- 404).
- Sergeant John Sterling Lawton (Indian Campaigns), Company D, 5th U.S. CavalryU.S. 5th Cavalry RegimentThe 5th Cavalry Regiment is a historical unit of the United States Army that began its service in the decade prior to the American Civil War and continues in modified organizational format in the U.S. Army.-Nineteenth century:...
. Milk River, Colo., September 29, 1879 (Section NAWS, Grave 1392).
- Private Cornelius J. LeahyCornelius J. LeahyCornelius J. Leahy was a Private in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Philippine–American War.He is buried in San Francisco National Cemetery San Francisco, California.-Medal of Honor citation:...
(Philippine-American War), Company A, 36th Infantry, U.S. Volunteers. Near PoracPorac, PampangaPorac is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 102,962 people in 15,686 households.Porac is the largest town in Pampanga...
, LuzonLuzonLuzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, Philippine Islands, September 3, 1899 (Section NA, Grave 970).
- First Sergeant John Mitchell (Indian Campaigns), Company I, 5th U.S. Infantry5th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 5th Infantry Regiment is the third-oldest infantry regiment of the United States Army, tracing its origins to 1808...
. Upper Washita, Tex., September 9–11, 1874 (Section NAWS, Grave 411).
- Private Albert Moore (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, China, July 21 – August 17, 1900 (Section WS, Grave 1032-A).
- Second Lieutenant Louis Clinton Mosher (Philippine-American War), Philippine ScoutsPhilippine ScoutsThe Philippine Scouts was a military organization of the United States Army from 1901 until the end of World War II. Made up of native Filipinos assigned to the United States Army Philippine Department, these troops were generally enlisted and under the command of American officers, however, a...
. Gagsak Mountain, JoloJolo IslandJolo is a volcanic island in the southwest Philippines. It is located in the Sulu Archipelago, between Borneo and Mindanao, and has a population of approximately 300,000 people....
, Philippine Islands, June 11, 1913 (Section NA, Gave 1408).
- Private Adam NederAdam NederAdam Neder was a German-born soldier in the U.S. Army who served with the 7th U.S. Cavalry during the Indian Wars...
(Indian Campaigns), Company A, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Sioux CampaignSioux WarsThe Sioux Wars were a series of conflicts between the United States and various subgroups of the Sioux people that occurred in the latter half of the 19th century...
, December 1890 (Section NAWS, Grave 1805).
- First Lieutenant William R. ParnellWilliam R. ParnellWilliam Russell Parnell was an Irish-born adventurer and soldier during the mid-to late 19th century. A member of the 17th Lancers during the Crimean War, he was one of the few survivors of the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade.He later became a Major and brevet Colonel in the U.S...
(Indian Campaigns), 1st U.S. CavalryU.S. 1st Cavalry RegimentThe 1st Cavalry Regiment is a unit in the United States Army which has its antecedents in the early 19th Century in the formation of the United States Regiment of Dragoons. To this day, the unit's Special Designation is "First Regiment of Dragoons".-Origins:The "United States Regiment of Dragoons"...
. White Bird Canyon, Idaho, June 17, 1877 (Section OS, Grave 68-8).
- Corporal Reuben Jasper PhillipsReuben Jasper PhillipsReuben J. Phillips was an American Corporal serving in the United States Marine Corps during the Boxer Rebellion who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.-Biography:...
(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. China, June 1900 (Section OSD, Grave 3).
- Corporal Norman W. ResslerNorman W. ResslerNorman W. Ressler was a corporal serving in the United States Army during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.-Biography:...
(Spanish-American War), Company D, 17th U.S. Infantry. El CaneyEl CaneyEl Caney is a small village 4 miles to the northeast of Santiago, Cuba. "Caney" means longhouse in Taíno.It was known in centuries past as the site where Hernán Cortés received a vision supposedly ordering him to Christianize Mexico. The settlement was host to the Battle of El Caney on July 1,...
, CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, July 1, 1898 (Section WS, Grave 134-A).
- Sergeant Lloyd Martin Seibert (World War I), U.S. Army, Company F, 364th Infantry, 91st Division. Near EpinonvilleÉpinonvilleÉpinonville is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
, 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...
, September 26, 1918 (Section OS, Grave 128-10).
- First Lieutenant William Rufus ShafterWilliam Rufus ShafterWilliam Rufus Shafter was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who received America's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Fair Oaks. Shafter also played a prominent part as a major general in the Spanish-American War...
(Civil War), Company I, 7th Michigan Infantry. Fair Oaks, Va.Fair Oaks, VirginiaFair Oaks is an unincorporated community located in Henrico County, Virginia. Fair Oaks Station was located on the Richmond and York River Railroad and played a role in the Peninsula Campaign in 1862 during the American Civil War. A major battle was fought nearby, known variously as the Battle of...
, May 31, 1862 (Section OS, Grave 30-2).
- Private George Matthew Shelton, Sr.George M. SheltonGeorge Matthew Shelton was an Private in the United States Army and a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions in the Philippine-American War.-Medal of Honor citation:...
, (Philippine-American War), Company I, 23rd U.S. Infantry23rd Infantry Regiment (United States)The 23rd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army originally formed on June 26th 1812. The 23rd saw action in 14 battles during the War of 1812...
. La PazLa PazNuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
, Leyte, Philippine Islands, April 26, 1900 (Section OSD, Grave 799).
- Gunner's Mate Second Class Andrew V. StoltenbergAndrew V. StoltenbergAndrew Vincent Stoltenberg was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Philippine-American War.-Biography:...
(Philippine-American War), U.S. Navy. Catbalogan, SamarSamarSamar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...
, Philippine Islands, July 16, 1900 (Section A, Grave 242).
- Sergeant Bernard Taylor (Indian Campaigns), Company A, 5th U.S. CavalryU.S. 5th Cavalry RegimentThe 5th Cavalry Regiment is a historical unit of the United States Army that began its service in the decade prior to the American Civil War and continues in modified organizational format in the U.S. Army.-Nineteenth century:...
. Near Sunset Pass, Ariz., November 1, 1874 (Section WS, Grave 1090).
- Private William H. ThompkinsWilliam H. ThompkinsWilliam H. Thompkins was a Buffalo Soldier in the United States Army and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Spanish-American War.-Biography:...
(Spanish-American War), Troop G, 10th U.S. CavalryU.S. 10th Cavalry RegimentThe 10th Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army. Formed as a segregated African-American unit, the 10th Cavalry was one of the original "Buffalo Soldier" regiments. It served in combat during the Indian Wars in the western United States, the Spanish-American War in Cuba and in the...
. Tayabacoa, Cuba, June 30, 1898 (Section WS, Grave 1036-A).
- Captain Charles A. Varnum (Indian Campaigns), Company B, 7th U.S. Cavalry. White Clay Creek, S.D., December 30, 1890 (Section OS, Grave 3-3-A).
- Second Lieutenant George W. WallaceGeorge W. WallaceGeorge Weed Wallace was an Second Lieutenant in the United States Army and a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions in the Philippine-American War. Wallace rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He is buried at San Francisco National Cemetery.-Medal of Honor citation:Rank and organization:...
(Philippine-American War), 9th U.S. InfantryU.S. 9th Infantry RegimentThe 9th Infantry Regiment is one of the oldest and most decorated active duty infantry units in the United States Army.- Early organizations :...
. Tinuba, Luzon, Philippine Islands, March 4, 1900 (Section OS, ROW 39A, Grave 1).
- Seaman Axel WestermarkAxel WestermarkAxel Westermark was an American sailor serving in the United States Navy during the Boxer Rebellion who received the Medal of Honor for bravery.-Biography:...
(Boxer Rebellion), U.S. Navy. Peking, China June 28 – August 17, 1900 (Section A, Grave 32).
- Sergeant William WilsonWilliam Wilson (soldier)William Wilson , a Sergeant in the United States Army's 4th Cavalry, is noted for being one of only nineteen individuals to receive the Medal of Honor twice.-Medal of Honor citation:...
(Indian Campaigns), Company I, 4th U.S. CavalryU.S. 4th Cavalry RegimentThe 4th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment, whose lineage is traced back to the mid-19th century. It was one of the most effective units of the Army against Indians on the Texas frontier. Today the regiment exists as separate squadrons within the U.S. Army...
. Colorado Valley, Texas, March 28, 1872 (Section WS, Grave 527).
Other burials
Two unusual interments at San Francisco National Cemetery are "Major" Pauline CushmanPauline Cushman
Pauline Cushman , was an American actress and a spy for the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
and Miss Sarah A. Bowman
Sarah A. Bowman
Sarah A. Bowman was an American innkeeper, restaurateur, and madam. Nicknamed "The Great Western", she gained fame, and the title "Heroine of Fort Brown", as a camp follower of Zachary Taylor's army during the Mexican–American War...
. Cushman's headstone bears the inscription "Pauline C. Fryer, Union Spy", but her real name was Harriet Wood. Born in the 1830s, she became a performer in Thomas Placide's show Varieties and took the name Pauline Cushman. She married theater musician Charles Dickinson
Charles Dickinson
Charles Dickinson may refer to:* Charles Dickinson , American planter fatally wounded by Andrew Jackson* Charles Dickinson , American novelist-See also:...
in 1853, but after her husband died of illness related to his service for Union forces, she returned to the stage. During spring 1863, while performing in Louisville, Ky.
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, she was asked by the provost marshal to gather information regarding local Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
activity. From there she was sent to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, where she had some success conveying information about troop strength and movements. In Nashville, she was also captured and nearly hanged as a spy. She returned to the stage in 1864, to lecture and sell her autobiography. Entertainer P.T. Barnum promoted her as the "Spy of the Cumberland" and through Barnum's practiced boostership she quickly gained fleeting fame. After spending the 1870s working the redwood logging camps, she remarried and moved to the Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
. By 1893 she was divorced, destitute and desperate; she applied for her first husband's military pension and returned to San Francisco, where she died from an overdose of narcotic
Narcotic
The term narcotic originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with any sleep-inducing properties. In the United States of America it has since become associated with opioids, commonly morphine and heroin and their derivatives, such as hydrocodone. The term is, today, imprecisely...
s allegedly taken to soothe her rheumatism. Members of the Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
and Women's Relief Corps conducted a magnificent funeral for the former spy. "Major" Cushman's remains reside in Officer's Circle.
Also buried at San Francisco National Cemetery is Sarah Bowman, also known as "Great Western", a formidable woman over 6 feet (1.8 m) tall with red hair and a fondness for wearing pistols. Married to a soldier, she traveled with Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
's troops in the Mexican-American War helping to care for the wounded, for which she earned a government pension. After her husband's death she had a variety of male companions and ran an infamous tavern and brothel in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. Bowman left El Paso when she married her last husband. The two ended up at Fort Yuma
Fort Yuma
Fort Yuma is a fort in California that is located in Imperial County, across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona. It was on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861 and was abandoned May 16, 1883, and transferred to the Department of the Interior. The Fort Yuma Indian School and a...
, where she operated a boarding house until her death from a spider bite in 1866. She was given a full military funeral and was buried in the Fort Yuma Cemetery. Several years later her body was exhumed and reburied at San Francisco National Cemetery.