VA National Cemeteries
Corinth National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility
Corinth, Mississippi · VA national cemetery
Address, hours, directions and contact details: Corinth National Cemetery.
You can look up burials at Corinth 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 Corinth National Cemetery
Corinth National Cemetery is located in Alcorn County, within the city limits of Corinth, MS. In 1854, the citizens of Tishomingo County, MS, invited both the Mobile & Ohio and the Memphis & Charleston rail companies to build track through their jurisdiction. The companies quickly accepted the offer and within a year the surveys were complete. The proposed routes for the new lines crossed at a right angle on a section of property owned by William Lasley. Lasley sold the land and a town quickly grew up around the pending railroad intersection. Originally, the town was pragmatically called Cross City, but the local newspaper editor decided it did not fit the growing community. The name was changed to Corinth with the stipulation that the citizens could change it back in a year should they not like it. The name stuck.
Corinth flourished throughout the remainder of the1850s until the election of Abraham Lincoln, Mississippi's secession and the beginning of the Civil War. Many Tishomingo County men served in the Confederacy and as early as 1861 Corinth served as an assembly point for Confederate soldiers traveling by rail to various points in Florida, Alabama, Kentucky and Virginia. In spring 1862, Corinth became the focal point in the Civil War's Western Theatre, as both northern and southern leaders recognized the necessity of holding the city because of its valuable rail crossings. Corinth was also in proximity to ports on the Tennessee River, including Hamburg, Eastport and Pittsburg Landing. Whoever controlled Corinth held an important logistical key to the entire lower Mississippi Valley.
The fall of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in Tennessee, in February 1862 initiated a series of events that led to Union and Confederate advances on Corinth. The Confederates, under the leadership of General Albert Sidney Johnston, saw their trans-Appalachian defense line broken with the capture of these forts by General Ulysses S. Grant. Subsequently, Corinth became the new anchor for a Confederate defense of the lower South.
In early April 1862, federal troops led by Grant camped at Pittsburg Landing, TN, 22 miles northeast of Corinth. The Confederate Army made a surprise attack upon the federal encampment, and although they had an initial measure of success, on the second day Grant received reinforcements and the Confederates fell back toward Corinth.
Notable veterans buried at Corinth National Cemetery
The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note at Corinth National Cemetery, with section and site where it has them.
- Julius "Junior" Ellis McKinney was born in Alabama in 1927 and he enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 21. Corporal McKinney was deployed to Korea with the Heavy Mortar Division, 7th Infantry. He was listed as missing in action after a December 2, 1950, battle at the Chosin Reservoir. McKinney was posthumously promoted to sergeant and awarded the Purple Heart among other commendations. In March 2018, Sgt. McKinney's remains were identified using DNA by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. He was reburied in Corinth National Cemetery on June 8, 2018. A rosette placed by his name on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, indicates he now rests in a marked grave (Section B, Site 723).
Visiting hours at Corinth National Cemetery
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. 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 Corinth 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 Corinth National Cemetery?
- 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).
- 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.
- You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Corinth National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.
Where is the Corinth National Cemetery burial schedule?
VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Corinth 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 Corinth National Cemetery directly at 901-386-8311.
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 Mississippi law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Mississippi 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 Corinth 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.
- Grayson Funeral HomeCorinth, MS0.3 mi from the cemetery
- Corinthian Funeral HomeCorinth, MS0.6 mi from the cemetery
- Patterson Memorial ChapelCorinth, MS0.7 mi from the cemetery
- Memorial Funeral HomeCorinth, MSMilitary honors services0.9 mi from the cemetery
- McPeters Funeral DirectorsCorinth, MS1.1 mi from the cemetery
- Magnolia Funeral HomeCorinth, MS1.8 mi from the cemetery
FAQ
Questions about burial at Corinth National Cemetery
Is burial at Corinth 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 Corinth 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 Corinth 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 Corinth 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 Corinth 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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