Burial at Fort Custer National Cemetery: A family guide

History of Fort Custer National Cemetery

Fort Custer was named after General George Armstrong Custer, a native of the state of Michigan.

The original Camp Custer was built in 1917 on 130 parcels of land, mainly small farms leased to the government by the local chamber of commerce as part of the military mobilization for World War I. After a two-year grace period, the Army was allowed to buy it for about $98 an acre. Construction of the camp started in July 1917 and within five months 2,000 buildings were ready to accommodate some 36,000 men. During World War I, some 90,000 troops passed through Camp Custer. Following the Armistice of 1918, the camp became a demobilization base for over 100,000 men. Some of the troops passed through here twice, going to war and upon returning home.

On May 10, 1923, an executive order transferred 675 acres to the Veterans Bureau, predecessor organization to the Veterans Administration, for the construction of Battle Creek Veterans Hospital, which was completed in 1924. At one time, the staff and patients from the hospital farmed about 200 acres of the site. It was considered good therapy for patients and helped the hospital to be reasonably self-sufficient. During these early years, many pine trees were planted in the northeast corner of the cemetery, which today presents an attractive cathedral-like feature.

The establishment of Fort Custer Post Cemetery took place on September 18, 1943, with the first interment. Under Army rules, officers and enlisted men were segregated, even after death. As a result, Section A of the post cemetery filled with enlisted servicemen, while Section O was reserved for officers.

Notable veterans buried at Fort Custer National Cemetery

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

• Private First Class Benjamin Franklin Adams (1936–2005) was born in Norfolk, VA. He was a talented right-handed pitcher in the American Negro League from 1952 to 1969. Adams' professional baseball career began with the Indianapolis Clowns in 1952. The following year he was the starting pitcher for the Memphis Red Sox. He joined the Kansas City Monarchs in 1955 and spent the remainder of his baseball career with that club. From 1956 to 1957 his professional baseball career was put on hold due to his enlistment in the Army, though he played baseball in the service. He was a member of American Legion Post 0059 and the Teamsters Union. He died on May 21, 2005, and was interred in Section T, Site 381.
• Sergeant Donald E. Boven (1925–2011) enlisted in the Army after graduating high school in 1943 and served with the U.S. Third Army in Europe During WWII. He landed on Omaha Beach D-Day plus 2 and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. Boven was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and stood out as an athlete. After WWII he attended Western Michigan using his G.I. Bill benefit. He was a star athlete there in football, basketball, and baseball. After graduation he had offers to play all of his sports professionally, but chose basketball. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Olympians in 1949. Throughout his career he played for the Waterloo Hawks, Milwaukee Hawks, Baltimore Bullets, and Fort Wayne Pistons. He retired from professional basketball in 1953 and began a long career as coach and instructor at his alma mater. He retired after 32 years there in 1985 and lived an active retirement. He died on March 10, 2011, and was interred in Section J, Site 1085 with his wife Charlotte.
• Private First Class Wade Herbert Flemons (1940–1993) of Battle Creek, Michigan, served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War from September 1965 to September 1967. He was an American soul singer and founding member of the musical group Earth, Wind & Fire. His solo music career began in 1958, at age seventeen, when he released a regional hit "Here I Stand" while still in high school. By the late 1960s he was working as a session musician and songwriter in Chicago. He partnered with Maurice White and formed The Salty Peppers in 1969, which became Earth, Wind & Fire. Flemons was a vocalist in the group for their first two albums and left the band in 1972. He wrote more than 200 songs in his career and performed with acts such as Bo Didley, Jackie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield, and Frankie Valli. He died in October 1993 and was interred in Section 11, Site 675.

Eligibility for burial at Fort Custer 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 dawn to dusk. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays. Funeral Service Hours: Monday thru Friday 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (except 12:30 p.m.). 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.

How to schedule a burial at Fort Custer 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 Fort Custer National Cemetery at the assigned time. The cemetery handles opening, closing, and perpetual care from that point.

Where Fort Custer National Cemetery sits in the Michigan cemetery system

Fort Custer National Cemetery is one of the veteran cemeteries operating in Michigan. The cemetery is currently accepting new in-ground and columbarium interments. Families should verify status before planning.

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