Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery

In 1987 the Department of Veterans Affairs identified the Cleveland area as one of 10 areas of the country most in need of burial space for veterans. This decision was based on the area's veteran population. In 1993, a 274-acre site was selected on Rawiga Road in Rittman. Burial operations began on June 19, 2000. The initial construction developed approximately 60 acres and includes 15,900 full-casket grave sites, 3,000 sites for cremated remains, an entrance area, an administration/maintenance complex and two committal shelters.

The cemetery has space available to accommodate casketed and in-ground burial of cremated remains. Cremated remains may be placed in the above ground columbarium wall. The Public Information Center at the cemetery is staffed with volunteers Monday through Friday. If you would like to volunteer please call the cemetery office. Various Veterans Service Organizations provide military funeral honors. The site features a pathway that is lined with memorials that honor America’s veterans, which have been donated by various organizations.

Currently, there are more than one million veterans living in the State of Ohio and approximately 540,000 residing in the cemetery’s service area. The first two phases of construction, covering 65 acres of 273-acre cemetery, included 21,000 gravesites, 10,100 columbaria niches and 3,800 in-ground garden niches for cremated remains. At full capacity, Ohio Western Reserve can provide burial space for 106,000 eligible veterans and dependents, beyond the year 2050.

Most veterans who have been discharged from active duty military service under other than dishonorable conditions are entitled to burial in a National Cemetery. There are time restrictions for enlisted personnel who began their active service after Sept. 7, 1980, and officer personnel who entered service after Oct. 17, 1981. They must have completed 24 months of continuous service or the full period for which called to active duty, whichever is shorter. There is no charge for any service provided by a National Cemetery, including grave space, a grave liner, the opening and closing of the grave, an upright headstone or flat marker and all perpetual grave care.

Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed July 28th 2020. https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/ohiowesternreserve.asp.

Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery, Rittman, Ohio. Accessed July 28th 2020. https://www.rittman.com/209/Ohio-Western-Reserve-National-Cemetery.