Burial at Alexandria National Cemetery: A family guide

History of Alexandria National Cemetery

Alexandria National Cemetery is located in the community of Pineville, Rapides Parish, LA. In 1804, under the new U.S. Territorial government, Rapides became one of the 12 parishes into which the Territory of New Orleans (later the State of Louisiana) was divided and, by 1805, a crude settlement had developed at the site below the rapids named Alexandria. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president in fall 1860, the people of Alexandria and Pineville saw the handwriting on the wall. On January 26, 1861, the citizens of Louisiana voted for secession and swiftly committed to joining the Confederacy.

Ships appeared at the mouth of the Mississippi River determined to go upriver and capture New Orleans in May 1862. Within a year, Rapides Parish citizens were shocked when they realized their homes, the roads leading through Alexandria parish and other crossroads villages of the parish might become part of the battlefield.

Between 1863 and early 1864, the area was invaded twice. Plantations were laid waste, houses burned, fences torn down, trees cut for firewood and sugarhouses and barns burned. Both armies lived off the land, taking away food, livestock and poultry. The final destruction of Alexandria occurred on May 13, 1864, when Alexandria was burned to the ground by Union troops.

After the war, federal troops moved into the region to begin the process of reconstruction. In 1867, an eight-acre plot was appropriated from local resident François Poussin for the establishment of a national cemetery for deceased Union soldiers who died in the region. Approximately a decade later, a suit was filed by Poussin's heirs and the United States was ordered to pay his descendants $1,200 for title to the property. Bodies were removed from the surrounding towns such as Mount Pleasant, Cheneyville and Yellow Bayou and reinterred in Alexandria. Later, remains from Fort Brown, TX, were reinterred at the national cemetery when the fort was no longer deemed necessary. Alexandria (LA) National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

Notable veterans buried at Alexandria National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration documents the following veterans of note buried at Alexandria National Cemetery, listed by section and site as recorded in the cemetery's official register.

• Other Burials There are 57 Buffalo Soldiers interred at the Alexandria National Cemetery. They represent the following units: 24th Infantry, 10th Calvary, and the 9th Calvary and are interred in Sections A, B, C, and R.
• Former congressman Gillis W. Long, who died on January 19, 1985, is buried in Section B, Site 1610-B.
• Major Jacob Brown, for whom Fort Brown, TX, was named, is buried in Section B, Site 1. He died from wounds received during a skirmish with Mexican soldiers in 1846.
• Roscoe Monroe Merrick was born in December 1928 in Kansas, shortly after his father died; as a teen he was adopted by his stepfather and wrestled in high school. Seaman Second Class Brumbaugh joined the U.S. Navy at 17 and served aboard the USS Nereus in 1946–1947. After his tour, Brumbaugh returned to wrestling as a professional. Promotors invited him to Tennessee where he pinned his biggest opponent – segregation. Brumbaugh, known as "Sputnik Monroe," used his popularity to force integration of sporting events in Memphis's Ellis Auditorium. Outside the ring, Brumbaugh was arrested for interracial socializing on Beale Street; undeterred, he chose black attorney Russell Sugarman to represent him. In the 1970s, he and a black wrestling partner introduced tag team showmanship to Memphis and the duo confronted racial tension through their wrestling performances. Brumbaugh died November 3, 2006, and is buried at Alexandria National Cemetery (Section C, Site 77C).
• Texas-born Charles S. Stroup enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1917 and served during World War I. Private First Class Stroup completed his tour in March 1919. He married later that year and the couple had two children in the 1920s. Stroup supported his family as a watchmaker. After his wife's death in 1929, the young widower returned to his parents' house in Greenville, TX. By 1942, Stroup was employed by the Quartermaster Corps in San Antonio as a civilian patrolman at Fort Sam Houston. Stroup then embarked on a career as a superintendent of national cemeteries: from 1946 to 1962, he oversaw the properties at Port Hudson (LA), Alexandria (LA), and Fort Leavenworth (KS). Stroup died July 15, 1965, and is buried in Alexandria (LA) National Cemetery (Section E, Site 27).

Eligibility for burial at Alexandria National Cemetery

Planning ahead for a Veteran's or loved-one's final resting place can eliminate unnecessary delays and reduce stress on a family at a difficult time.

The Department of Veterans Affairs covers the grave plot, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government-furnished headstone or marker, and a U.S. burial flag at no cost to eligible families.

Visiting hours

Visitation Hours: Open daily from 8:00 a.m. to sunset. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

How to schedule a burial at Alexandria National Cemetery

1. The funeral home or family contacts the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117 (24/7 for active funeral arrangements).
2. Provide the veteran's full name, date of birth, social security number, dates of service, branch, and date of death.
3. Fax or email the DD-214 to the cemetery's interment office for verification.
4. Once eligibility is confirmed (typically 30–60 minutes for complete documentation), the cemetery assigns a date, time, and committal shelter.
5. The funeral home transports the deceased to Alexandria National Cemetery at the assigned time. The cemetery handles opening, closing, and perpetual care from that point.

Where Alexandria National Cemetery sits in the Louisiana cemetery system

Alexandria National Cemetery is one of the veteran cemeteries operating in Louisiana. The cemetery is currently closed to new in-ground burials but may accept cremated remains in some cases. Families should verify status before planning.

For families considering alternatives, the nearest veteran cemeteries appear in our cemetery sidebar. If Alexandria National Cemetery is fully reserved, those alternatives are typically the next options.