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{{Short description|Veterans cemetery in Hennepin County, Minnesota}}
{{Infobox cemetery
{{Infobox cemetery
|name = Fort Snelling National Cemetery
|name = Fort Snelling National Cemetery
|image = 2 Fort Snelling Looking Southeast.JPG
|image =Fort Snelling National Cemetery.jpg
|imagesize = 300px
|imagesize = 250px
|caption = Memorial Day 2018 at<br> Fort Snelling National Cemetery
|caption =
|established = 1939
|established = 1939
|country = United States
|country = United States
|location = [[Fort Snelling]], [[Minnesota]]
|location = [[Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory]], [[Minnesota]]
|coordinates = {{coord|44|52|11|N|93|12|51|W|region:US-MN_scale:10000_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
|coordinates = {{coord|44|52|15|N|93|13|11|W|region:US-MN_scale:10000_type:landmark_source:GNIS|display=inline,title}}
|type = Public
|type = Public
|owner =
|owner =
|size = {{convert|436.3|acre}}
|size = {{convert|436.3|acre}}
|graves= 225,000
|graves= >256,000
|website = [http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/ftsnelling.asp Official]
|website = [http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/ftsnelling.asp Official]
|findagraveid= 82339
|findagraveid= 82339
}}
}}


'''Fort Snelling National Cemetery''' is a [[United States National Cemetery]] located at [[Fort Snelling]] just south of [[Minneapolis]] in [[Hennepin County, Minnesota]], adjacent to [[Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport]]. It is the older of the two national cemeteries in the state. Administered by the [[United States Department of Veterans Affairs]], it encompasses {{convert|436.3|acre}}, and as of 2017 had over 225,000 interments. It was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2016.
'''Fort Snelling National Cemetery''' is a [[United States National Cemetery]] located in the [[Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory]] adjacent to the historic
fort and [[Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport]]. It is the only National Cemetery in Minnesota. Administered by the [[United States Department of Veterans Affairs]], it covers {{convert|436.3|acres}}, and as of August, 2023 had over 256,000 interments. It was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2016.


== History ==
== History ==
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In 1937, the citizens of [[St. Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul]], petitioned Congress to construct a National Cemetery in the area. Two years later, the new plot was dedicated, and the burials from the original post cemetery were moved to it. In 1960, the Fort Snelling Air Force Station transferred {{convert|146|acre}} to the cemetery; another {{convert|177|acre|km2}} were acquired in 1961, expanding the cemetery to its current size.
In 1937, the citizens of [[St. Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul]], petitioned Congress to construct a National Cemetery in the area. Two years later, the new plot was dedicated, and the burials from the original post cemetery were moved to it. In 1960, the Fort Snelling Air Force Station transferred {{convert|146|acre}} to the cemetery; another {{convert|177|acre|km2}} were acquired in 1961, expanding the cemetery to its current size.


There was a tradition of placing a flag on every grave on Memorial Day, but as the cemetery grew, the staff was forced to stop. In 2017, the nonprofit Flags for Fort Snelling attempted to revive the tradition.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.fox9.com/news/256293689-story|title=Nonprofit seeks help placing flags at every Ft. Snelling grave on Memorial Day|last=FOX|work=KMSP|access-date=2017-05-23|language=en-US}}</ref>
There was a tradition of placing a flag on every grave on [[Memorial Day]], but as the cemetery grew, the staff was forced to stop. In 2017, the nonprofit Flags for Fort Snelling revived the tradition;<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.fox9.com/news/256293689-story|title=Nonprofit seeks help placing flags at every Ft. Snelling grave on Memorial Day|work=Fox KMSP|access-date=2017-05-23|language=en-US|archive-date=2017-07-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701085335/http://www.fox9.com/news/256293689-story|url-status=dead}}</ref> volunteers placed 200,000 memorial flags in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/05/26/fort-snelling-volunteers-place-200k-memorial-flags/ |title=Fort Snelling Volunteers Place 200K Memorial Flags |last=Steiner |first=Katie |date=May 26, 2019 |publisher=[[WCCO-TV|WCCO]] |access-date=November 12, 2019 }}</ref>

[[File:Fort Snelling National Cemetery Flag Poles.jpg|thumb|right|Flag Posts at Fort Snelling National Cemetery]]
[[File:Fort Snelling National Cemetery Flag Poles.jpg|thumb|right|Flag Posts at Fort Snelling National Cemetery]]

[[File:Fort Snelling National Cemetery Metal of Honor Flag.jpg|thumb|right|Medal of Honor Flag Post]]
[[File:Fort Snelling National Cemetery Medal of Honor Flag.jpg|thumb|right|Medal of Honor Flag Post]]


== Notable interments ==
== Notable interments ==
* [[Medal of Honor]] recipients
===Medal of Honor recipients===
** Second Lieutenant [[Donald Rudolph|Donald E. Rudolph, Sr.]], [[U.S. Army]], for action in the [[Battle of Luzon]] in [[World War II]].
* Second Lieutenant [[Donald Rudolph|Donald E. Rudolph Sr.]], US Army, [[Medal of Honor]] recipient for action in the [[Battle of Luzon]] in [[World War II]]
** Captain [[Richard E. Fleming]], [[USMC]], for action at [[Battle of Midway|Midway]] in [[World War II]]. (Memorial grave site only, body was not recovered)
* Captain [[Richard E. Fleming]], USMC, for action at [[Battle of Midway|Midway]] in World War II ([[cenotaph]], body was not recovered)
** Private First Class [[Richard E. Kraus]], USMC, for action at [[Peleliu]] in World War II.
* Private First Class [[Richard E. Kraus]], USMC, for action at [[Peleliu]] in World War II
** Private First Class [[James D. LaBelle]], USMC, for action at the [[Battle of Iwo Jima]] during World War II.
* Private First Class [[James D. LaBelle]], USMC, for action at the [[Battle of Iwo Jima]] during World War II
** Captain [[Arlo Olson]], [[US Army]], for action in Italy during World War II.
* Captain [[Arlo Olson]], US Army, for action in Italy during World War II
** Staff Sergeant [[Robert J. Pruden]], [[U.S. Army]], for action in the [[Vietnam War]].
* Staff Sergeant [[Robert J. Pruden]], US Army, for action in the [[Vietnam War]]
** First Lieutenant [[Richard K. Sorenson|Richard Keith Sorenson]], [[USMC]], for action on [[Kwajalein]] during World War II.
* First Lieutenant [[Richard K. Sorenson|Richard Keith Sorenson]], USMC, for action on [[Kwajalein]] during World War II
** Captain [[George H. Mallon]], [[U.S. Army]], for actions in France during World War I.
* Captain [[George H. Mallon]], US Army, for actions in France during World War I
** Machinist Mate First Class [[Oscar F. Nelson]], [[U.S. Navy]], for heroism aboard the USS Bennington during peacetime.
* Machinist Mate First Class [[Oscar F. Nelson]], US Navy, for heroism aboard the USS ''Bennington'' during peacetime

* Others
===Other===
** [[Johnny Blanchard]], baseball player
George John Weiss Jr Recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal and Founder of the Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad
⚫
** [[Tom Burnett|Thomas Edward Burnett, Jr]], [[United Airlines Flight 93]] passenger.
** [[Bob Casey (baseball announcer)|Bob Casey]], baseball announcer.
* [[Johnny Blanchard]], baseball player
⚫
* [[Tom Burnett|Thomas Edward Burnett Jr]], [[United Airlines Flight 93]] passenger
** [[Frank Eugene Hook]], US Congressman, World War I veteran.
* [[Bob Casey (baseball announcer)|Bob Casey]], baseball announcer
⚫
** Dr. [[C. Walton Lillehei]], known as "Father of modern day Open-Heart Surgery."
** Corporal [[Charles W. Lindberg]], last surviving member of the Marines who flag raised the flag on [[Iwo Jima]] during World War II.
* [[Mark H. Gehan]], Mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Minnesota state representative, and lawyer, World War I
** [[Ernest Lundeen]], US Congressman.
* [[Frank Eugene Hook]], US Congressman, World War I veteran
⚫
* Dr. [[C. Walton Lillehei]], pioneer of modern open-heart surgery
⚫
** [[John Mariucci]], hockey coach, member of the [[United States Hockey Hall of Fame]].
* Corporal [[Charles W. Lindberg]], last surviving member of the Marines who flag raised the flag on [[Iwo Jima]] during World War II
⚫
** [[Hal Scott]], sports announcer.
* [[Ernest Lundeen]], US Congressman
⚫
** [[Bruce Smith (Heisman)|Bruce P. Smith]], 1941 football player, [[Heisman Trophy]] winner.
⚫
* [[John Mariucci]], hockey coach, member of the [[United States Hockey Hall of Fame]]
⚫
** [[David C. Sutherland III]], game artist.<ref name="CBC obit">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2005/06/15/sutherland050614.html|title=Dungeons and Dragons artist dies|date=June 15, 2005|publisher=[[CBC News]]|accessdate=March 2, 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080630060748/http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2005/06/15/sutherland050614.html|archivedate=2008-06-30}}</ref>
⚫
* [[Hal Scott]], sports announcer
⚫
** Major [[Tim Vakoc]], US Army Chaplain mortally wounded in [[Mosul]] during the [[Iraq War]].
⚫
* [[Bruce Smith (Heisman)|Bruce P. Smith]], 1941 football player, [[Heisman Trophy]] winner
⚫
** Private [[Murder of Tracie McBride|Tracie McBride]], rape and murder victim<ref name=McBrideLOC>"[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r104:S08MR5-322:TRIBUTE TO PRIVATE TRACIE JOY MCBRIDE (Senate - March 08, 1995)]." U.S. Congressional Record, [[Library of Congress]]. Retrieved on July 18, 2016.</ref>
⚫
* [[David C. Sutherland III]], game artist<ref name="CBC obit">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2005/06/15/sutherland050614.html|title=Dungeons and Dragons artist dies|date=June 15, 2005|publisher=[[CBC News]]|accessdate=March 2, 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080630060748/http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2005/06/15/sutherland050614.html|archivedate=2008-06-30}}</ref>
⚫
* The cemetery contains one British [[Commonwealth War Graves Commission|Commonwealth war grave]], of a [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] airman of [[World War II]].<ref name=cwgc>[http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2719816/WICKLEM,%20RUSSELL%20JOHN] CWGC Casualty Record.</ref>
⚫
* Major [[Tim Vakoc]], US Army Chaplain mortally wounded in [[Mosul]] during the [[Iraq War]]
⚫
* Private [[Murder of Tracie McBride|Tracie McBride]], rape and murder victim<ref name=McBrideLOC>"[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r104:S08MR5-322:TRIBUTE To Private Tracie Joy McBride (Senate – March 08, 1995)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210042812/https://www.congress.gov/ |date=February 10, 2020 }}." U.S. Congressional Record, [[Library of Congress]]. Retrieved on July 18, 2016.</ref>
* [[John Clay Walker]], American journalist, tortured and murdered in Mexico by members of the [[Guadalajara Cartel]]
* [[Jim Klobuchar]], Minnesota journalist and author
⚫
The cemetery contains one British [[Commonwealth War Graves Commission|Commonwealth war grave]], of a [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] airman of [[World War II]].<ref name=cwgc>[http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2719816/WICKLEM,%20RUSSELL%20JOHN] CWGC Casualty Record.</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 58: Line 67:


==External links==
==External links==
{{commonscat|Fort Snelling National Cemetery}}
{{Commons category|Fort Snelling National Cemetery}}
* [http://www.cem.va.gov/ National Cemetery Administration]
* [http://www.cem.va.gov/ National Cemetery Administration]
* [http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/ftsnelling.asp Fort Snelling National Cemetery]
* [http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/ftsnelling.asp Fort Snelling National Cemetery]
* {{HALS |survey=MN-1 |id=mn0602 |title=Fort Snelling National Cemetery, 7601 34th Avenue South, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, MN |photos=46 |cap=4}}
* {{HALS |survey=MN-1 |id=mn0602 |title=Fort Snelling National Cemetery, 7601 34th Avenue South, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, MN |photos=46 |cap=4}}
* {{GNIS|6438326}}
* {{GNIS|type=retired|643826}}
* {{Find a Grave cemetery}}

* [http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2073103/FORT%20SNELLING%20NATIONAL%20CEMETERY CWGC: Fort Snelling National Cemetery]
* [http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2073103/FORT%20SNELLING%20NATIONAL%20CEMETERY CWGC: Fort Snelling National Cemetery]

{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Cemeteries in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Cemeteries in Minnesota]]
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[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Hennepin County, Minnesota]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Hennepin County, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota]]

[[Category:Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in the United States]]
[[Category:Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in the United States]]
[[Category:1939 establishments in Minnesota]]
[[Category:1939 establishments in Minnesota]]

Revision as of 23:47, 16 August 2023

Fort Snelling National Cemetery
Memorial Day 2018 at
Fort Snelling National Cemetery
Map
Details
Established1939
Location
Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory, Minnesota
CountryUnited States
Coordinates44°52′15″N 93°13′11″W / 44.87083°N 93.21972°W / 44.87083; -93.21972
TypePublic
Size436.3 acres (176.6 ha)
No. of graves>256,000
WebsiteOfficial
Find a GraveFort Snelling National Cemetery

Fort Snelling National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory adjacent to the historic fort and Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport. It is the only National Cemetery in Minnesota. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it covers 436.3 acres (176.6 ha), and as of August, 2023 had over 256,000 interments. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

History

Fort Snelling was a frontier fort first established in 1819. Its original purpose was to keep the peace on what was then the western frontier. During the American Civil War it served as a recruiting camp area for Minnesota volunteers. The cemetery was officially established in 1870.

In 1937, the citizens of St. Paul, petitioned Congress to construct a National Cemetery in the area. Two years later, the new plot was dedicated, and the burials from the original post cemetery were moved to it. In 1960, the Fort Snelling Air Force Station transferred 146 acres (59 ha) to the cemetery; another 177 acres (0.72 km2) were acquired in 1961, expanding the cemetery to its current size.

There was a tradition of placing a flag on every grave on Memorial Day, but as the cemetery grew, the staff was forced to stop. In 2017, the nonprofit Flags for Fort Snelling revived the tradition;[1] volunteers placed 200,000 memorial flags in 2019.[2]

Flag Posts at Fort Snelling National Cemetery
Medal of Honor Flag Post

Notable interments

Medal of Honor recipients

Other

George John Weiss Jr Recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal and Founder of the Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad

The cemetery contains one British Commonwealth war grave, of a Royal Canadian Air Force airman of World War II.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Nonprofit seeks help placing flags at every Ft. Snelling grave on Memorial Day". Fox KMSP. Archived from the original on 2017-07-01. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
  2. ^ Steiner, Katie (May 26, 2019). "Fort Snelling Volunteers Place 200K Memorial Flags". WCCO. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  3. ^ "Dungeons and Dragons artist dies". CBC News. June 15, 2005. Archived from the original on 2008-06-30. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
  4. ^ "To Private Tracie Joy McBride (Senate – March 08, 1995) Archived February 10, 2020, at the Wayback Machine." U.S. Congressional Record, Library of Congress. Retrieved on July 18, 2016.
  5. ^ [1] CWGC Casualty Record.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
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