Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Images
The flag pavilion and assembly area.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Interments of men from the post were made in a portion of the city cemetery until 1867, when the United States acquired the tract by a donation from the city government and designated it San Antonio National Cemetery. Even at that early date, the city completely surrounded the new cemetery and the possibility for expansion was extremely limited. As the years passed, the number of military personnel serving at the post grew, creating an increasing demand for burial facilities.
In 1924, a portion of the military reservation was set aside to be used as a post cemetery. The first interment was made two years later in 1926. On Aug. 6, 1931, the War Department announced the transfer of 60 acres, including the post cemetery, from the military reservation and designated the tract an addition to San Antonio National Cemetery. It retained this status until 1937 when the War Department formally renamed it Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
Sources
"Historical Information." Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. Accessed March 2, 2014. http://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/ftsamhouston.asp.
Photo: Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery