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Camp Nelson National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility

Nicholasville, Kentucky · VA national cemetery

Address, hours, directions and contact details: Camp Nelson National Cemetery.

VeteranFunerals Editorial·4 min read·May 1, 2026·Facts checked

You can look up burials at Camp Nelson National Cemetery on VA's daily burial schedule, which lists the committal services families have agreed to publish. Veterans who were not dishonorably discharged can be buried here, and so can their spouses and some dependent children. To schedule a burial, you or the funeral director call VA's National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117.

History of Camp Nelson National Cemetery

Camp Nelson National Cemetery is located about seven miles southeast of Nicholasville in Jessamine County, KY. In 1866, the U.S. government appropriated approximately eight acres here to establish a cemetery. Of the original tract, about seven acres became the cemetery proper and the remainder formed a driveway extending from the main entrance to the old Danville Turnpike. An additional acre was purchased in 1874 that adjoined the southeast corner of the cemetery.

During the Civil War, Camp Nelson had an important role in supplying the U.S. Army, caring for the sick and wounded and acting as an enlistment station for African-American soldiers. The post was established in 1863 and contained numerous shops for blacksmith work and the construction of wagons and ambulances, as well as buildings for storing supplies and artillery equipment. Camp Nelson included barracks, headquarters buildings and a 700-bed hospital. There were three types of medical facilities on the post: a hospital for military prisoners; an acute general hospital; and the rehabilitation unit. In addition, Camp Nelson served as a major center for the recruitment of black soldiers of the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT). After the war, the base was designated an official refugee camp by the federal government and placed under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau.

By 1863, the Army had selected a small plot of land next to the hospital as a graveyard for the men who died at Camp Nelson. Life at the military camp was often harsh and men fell victim to disease and common illnesses. A total of 379 men were buried here, designated Graveyard No. 1, between June 1863 and July 1865. A second area, Graveyard No. 2, was later added; it is the present location of the national cemetery. According the cemetery records, approximately 1,180 men were buried here by February 1866.

After the end of the Civil War, the federal government initiated a program to locate and reinter Union dead in national cemeteries. As a result, in June and July 1868, a total of 2,023 remains were removed from areas in Kentucky such as Frankfort, Richmond, London and Covington and reinterred at Camp Nelson National Cemetery. Because of the camp's significance as a USCT recruiting base, a large number of these soldiers are interred at Camp Nelson. The remains of Confederate prisoners of war originally buried at Camp Nelson National Cemetery were all removed, either to the Confederate lot in the cemetery at Nicholasville or local private cemeteries. With the exception of two graves removed from Covington and alleged to be Confederate soldiers, there are no Confederates interred at Camp Nelson.

Notable veterans buried at Camp Nelson National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note at Camp Nelson 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:
  • Private William M. Harris (Indian Wars). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company D, 7th U.S. Cavalry, for actions at the Little Big Horn River, Montana Territory, June 25, 1876. Harris died in 1895 and is buried in Section U, Site 3.
  • Other Burials
  • Donald K. McGuire was born in Hazard, KY, in 1931. Specialist Third Class McGuire served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. McGuire married in 1953 and graduated from Western Kentucky University. In college he played basketball and started the clean-cut singing group, The Hilltoppers. During the 1950s the quartet had nineteen hit songs on Billboard and performed at U.S. and international venues. The group was inducted into the Kentucky Hall of Fame in 2013. McGuire died September 7, 2018, and is buried in Camp Nelson National Cemetery (Section C1-1, Row D, Site 28).

Visiting hours at Camp Nelson National Cemetery

Visitation Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays. 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.

Who can be buried at Camp Nelson National Cemetery?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

  • A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
  • Opening and closing of the grave
  • A government-provided burial liner
  • A government-provided headstone or marker
  • Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Camp Nelson National Cemetery?

  1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
  2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
  3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Camp Nelson National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Camp Nelson National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Camp Nelson National Cemetery to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Camp Nelson National Cemetery directly at 859-885-5727.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

  • Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
  • Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
  • Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Kentucky law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Kentucky and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Funeral homes near Camp Nelson National Cemetery

A funeral director usually arranges the burial with the cemetery. These are the closest funeral homes by straight-line distance. Each one links to its full listing on FuneralUS, our funeral home directory.

  1. 6.3 mi from the cemetery
  2. Hager & Cundiff Funeral Home
    Nicholasville, KYMilitary honors services
    6.8 mi from the cemetery
  3. Betts & West Funeral Home
    Nicholasville, KYMilitary honors services
    6.9 mi from the cemetery
  4. 10.3 mi from the cemetery
  5. 11.8 mi from the cemetery
  6. 13.0 mi from the cemetery

Search all funeral homes by ZIP on FuneralUS

FAQ

Questions about burial at Camp Nelson National Cemetery

  • Is burial at Camp Nelson National Cemetery free?

    Yes, for eligible veterans, spouses and dependent children. VA provides the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, a burial liner, a headstone or marker, and perpetual care at no cost. The funeral home's services, such as transport and any service before the burial, are arranged and paid for separately.

  • Can I reserve a gravesite at Camp Nelson National Cemetery in advance?

    No. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision before a death, but VA says the decision letter doesn't name a cemetery or gravesite, because neither can be reserved in advance.

  • How do I schedule a burial at Camp Nelson National Cemetery?

    Fax the veteran's discharge papers to 866-900-6417 or email them to [email protected]. Then you or the funeral director call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET). National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

  • Where can I see the burial schedule for Camp Nelson National Cemetery?

    On VA's daily burial schedule at https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/dailyburialschedule/. It covers every national cemetery, but it only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them.

  • Are military funeral honors provided at Camp Nelson National Cemetery?

    Yes, if you ask for them. Your funeral director, a Veterans Service Organization or the cemetery staff can arrange them. At minimum, two uniformed service members fold and present the burial flag at the committal shelter, and Taps is played.

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