Barrancas National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility

History of Barrancas National Cemetery

Barrancas National Cemetery is located within the boundaries of the U.S. Naval Air Station, eight miles southwest of downtown Pensacola, FL. The Pensacola Naval Air Station is home to the U.S. Naval Air Training Command and encompasses almost 12,000 acres. It was established in 1914 on the site of the old U.S. Navy Yard at Pensacola. A small cemetery had been maintained here in conjunction with the Marine Hospital that was located near Fort Barrancas. In 1838, the cemetery was expanded and established as a naval cemetery. During the Civil War years, many casualties were interred in gravesites initially set aside for personnel on duty at the Navy Yard.

Following the election of President Abraham Lincoln in 1861, Florida seceded from the Union despite its entry only 16 years before. As it provided the best harbor along the Gulf of Mexico, possession of Pensacola Bay was a key mission for both the Union and Confederate forces. The Army guarded the entrance to Pensacola Bay with three fortifications: Fort McRae and Fort Barrancas on the land side, and Fort Pickens at the western tip of Santa Rosa Island. Army Lieutenant Adam J. Slemmer, commander of the 1st U.S. Artillery at Fort Barrancas, realized that if war proved inevitable and Southern forces attacked, his small force of 51 men could not possibly defend all four garrisons. On January 10, 1861, the same day Florida seceded from the Union, Slemmer spiked the guns at Fort Barrancas, blew up ammunition at Fort McRae and concentrated all his troops at Fort Pickens, which he believed was the key to the defense of Pensacola Harbor. Two days later, Slemmer's men watched as Southern soldiers moved into the other forts across the channel. When, on January 15, soldiers from Florida and Alabama demanded the surrender of Fort Pickens, Lieutenant Slemmer refused. Within days the two sides reached a truce in which the South agreed not to attack Fort Pickens and the North would not reinforce the fort.

By the time Lincoln took office in March, both Fort Sumter in the harbor of Charleston, SC, and Fort Pickens needed supplies. Lincoln had pledged to continue federal occupation of both forts. If he withdrew the garrisons it would mean he recognized the legitimacy of the Confederacy; if he supplied the forts he risked war. The Union eventually did send ships from Fort Monroe but, under the terms of the truce, they dared not land. For 10 weeks, the Union ships waited, while inside the fort Slemmer and his men prepared for the inevitable strike. After ten weeks without an attack, Slemmer and his men learned of the firing on Fort Sumter and the beginning of the Civil War.

On the mainland, the Navy Yard was surrendered intact to Confederate forces on April 12, 1861, but Fort Pickens remained under control of the Union forces throughout the Civil War. For the next year, Confederate and Union forces engaged in a number of skirmishes. In May 1862, Confederate forces abandoned the Navy yard, Fort Barrancas, and Fort McRae. The continuing presence of a strong federal force at Fort Pickens no doubt was a significant factor in the Confederate decision to abandon the Pensacola Bay area.

Notable veterans buried at Barrancas National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note at Barrancas National Cemetery, with section and site where it has them.

• Medal of Honor
• The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Recipients receive the Medal of Honor from the President on behalf of Congress. It was first awarded during the Civil War and the eligibility criteria, medal design, and recognition on a recipients' grave marker have all evolved over time. There are 434 Medal of Honor recipients interred at VA national cemeteries including 6 double recipients.
• Medal of Honor recipients interred or memorialized here:
• Brigadier General George E. "Bud" Day (Vietnam). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Air Force, 31st Tactical Fighter Wing, for personal bravery that saved the lives of fellow aviators after his aircraft was shot down in North Vietnam, August 26, 1967. Day died in 2013 and is buried in Section 51, Site 30.
• Commander Clyde E. Lassen (Vietnam). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Navy, Helicopter Support Squadron 7, for actions in the rescue of downed aviators in the Republic of Vietnam, June 19, 1968. Lassen died in 1994 and is buried in Section 38, Site 113.
• Major Stephen W. Pless (Vietnam). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, for outstanding flying skills in the rescue of wounded soldiers near Quang Nai, in the Republic of Vietnam, August 19, 1967. Pless died in 1969 and is buried in Section 21, Site 929-A.
• Staff Sergeant Clifford Sims (Vietnam). Clifford Sims was born in Florida on June 18, 1942. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in December 1961. In December 1967, Staff Sergeant Sims fought in the Vietnam War with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. Sims’ company was near the city of Hue when the Tet Offensive began. On February 21, 1968, under heavy fire, Sims maneuvered his squad by a burning ammunition bunker before throwing himself over a tripped booby trap. For his sacrifice, Sims was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. He was buried in Barrancas National Cemetery on March 15, 1968, in Section 29, Site 546.
• Other Burials Ga-ah was the second wife of Apache Chief Geronimo and she joined him in resistance to Mexican and Arizona territorial expansion into tribal lands. During the Indian Wars, U.S. forces captured and imprisoned Ga-ah at Fort Pickens, Florida, where she died of pneumonia, or Bright’s disease. Ga-ah was apparently the only prisoner to die at the fort during the Indian Wars, and the only prisoner of war interred in a Florida cemetery. She died September 29, 1887 (Section 18, Site 1496).

Visiting hours at Barrancas National Cemetery

Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset. Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed on federal holidays except Memorial Day. VA will continue its practice of honoring special requests for weekend burials for religious purposes, in cases of service members killed in action and on at least one day of any three-day Federal holiday weekend at all open VA national cemeteries. Visiting this national cemetery requires following the rules set by the Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola. Here are the instructions for visitors to the Barrancas National Cemetery located at NAS Pensacola. Check In first: Before you come, visit the NAS Pensacola installation website. They will give you the latest information on rules and requirements. Check-in as a visitor: The Visitor Control Center accepts walk-ins and is located at the Main Gate entrance, Bldg. 777. Their hours of operations are: Monday, Friday: 7 am, 6 pm and Saturday, Sunday: 8 am to 6 pm Verify Access: Before you visit the cemetery, make sure the base is open to visitors. Access can change based on security rules. It is good to check. Get Help: If you have questions or want to know if the base is open, you can call the US Navy visitor office at 1-850-452-4153 for more information. If it is after hours, you can also contact The NAS Pensacola Headquarters Quarterdeck at 850-452-4785 or 850-452-4786. We hope this information helps you to visit. View the military service Installation Access Guidelines for additional information.