Burial at Fort Gibson National Cemetery: A family guide

History of Fort Gibson National Cemetery

Fort Gibson National Cemetery is located in Muskogee County, one mile northeast of Fort Gibson, OK. It is situated on land that was once part of the military reservation and is within the limits of the Cherokee Nation. Records indicate the area was probably called Ketona prior to 1824.

In mid-April 1824, Colonel Matthew Arbuckle was ordered to descend the Arkansas River and locate a site suitable for a military post. About three miles from the mouth of the Neosho River, Arbuckle found the ideal site, and construction of Cantonment Gibson began soon afterward. The post was one of several established along the "permanent Indian frontier" that ran from Minnesota to Louisiana. Prior to 1824, the government had forcibly removed eastern tribes of Native Americans to the west beyond the line of white settlement where they were assigned land that had been part of the Osage nation. For the Cherokees, Creek and Seminole, Fort Gibson was the end of the infamous Trail of Tears. The primary purpose of Fort Gibson was, in fact, to keep peace among the tribal nations while protecting immigrants and traders.

Prior to 1824, Fort Smith, AR, had been the westernmost U.S. military post. In May 1824, the western boundary line of Arkansas Territory was changed and the War Department felt it was expedient to move the military garrison at Fort Smith farther west to Fort Gibson. On February 14, 1833, a treaty was signed with multiple tribes to permit the Army's use of land near the fort. Later, the Cherokee made a determined effort to have the garrison removed, claiming the facility had fulfilled its purpose. They eventually prevailed, and on June 8, 1857, Fort Gibson was abandoned.

Early in 1863, Brigadier General James G. Blunt re-established the post and its name was changed to Fort Blunt, only to be changed back to Gibson within the year. From 1863 to 1890, it was garrisoned by many small detachments of troops. In 1891, the War Department turned Fort Gibson over to the Department of the Interior. Although active for only about 60 years, it has been a key post in American military history. Among the many officers stationed at Fort Gibson were Lieutenant Jefferson Davis, General Zachary Taylor and Nathan Boone (son of frontiersman Daniel Boone).

Notable veterans buried at Fort Gibson National Cemetery

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

• 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 First Class John N. Reese, Jr. (World War II). John Reese, native of Oklahoma, enlisted in the U.S. Army on December 18, 1942, and served with the 148th Infantry, 37th Division, during World War II. On February 9, 1945, Private First Class Reese participated in the attack on Paco Railroad Station in Manila, Philippine Islands. Heavy fire stopped his platoon, but Reese and a comrade continued forward. For nearly three hours they disorganized the defense and disarmed emplacements guarding the station. On the way back to the U.S. lines, Reese was killed by gun fire. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously and is buried in Section 2, Site 1259-E.
• First Lieutenant Jack Cleveland Montgomery (World War II). Jack Montgomery, a native of Oklahoma and part Cherokee, joined the Oklahoma National Guard in the late 1930s and in 1940–1941. He re-enlisted shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, with the U.S. Army, 180th regiment of the 45th Infantry Division. The division had the greatest number of American Indian soldiers in its ranks, who chose a familiar cultural symbol, the "Thunderbird," for their insignia. First Lieutenant Montgomery shipped out with the 45th Division to North Africa and participated in the invasion of Sicily. Fighting near Padiglione, Italy, on February 22, 1944, Montgomery and his rifle platoons attacked three strong enemy positions; several soldiers surrendered to him. For his courage, Montgomery received the Medal of Honor. He died June 11, 2002. In 2006, the VA medical center in Muskogee, Oklahoma, was renamed for him, and the first to honor an American Indian veteran. He is buried in Section 20, Site 963.
• Other Burials Billy Bowlegs served in the Civil War for the Union in Company A, First Indian Home Guards, in 1862–1864. The First Indian Home Guards were companies of Seminole and Creek soldiers attached to Kansas regiments during the Civil War. Captain Bowlegs is believed to be Seminole warrior So-nuk-mek-ko, who adopted the Bowlegs name after the death of Seminole Chief Billy Bowlegs in 1859. Captain Bowlegs (So-nuk-mek-ko) died in 1864, and is the only officer of the Indian Regiment interred in the officers' circle (Section OC, Site 2109).
• Corporal Mager Bradley (1917–1944) enlisted in the U.S. Army at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, in April 1941, leaving work as a farmhand. He rose to the rank of corporal in the segregated 333rd Field Artillery Battalion. The unit arrived in England in February 1944 and landed in Normandy a month after D-Day, providing artillery support to advancing American forces. In early December 1944, the American forces were overrun when the German army launched its last major offensive—the Battle of the Bulge. Bradley's unit supported retreating infantry, but he and 10 comrades became separated from the main U.S. force. They were sheltered by friendly Belgians in the town of Wereth, but neighbors sympathetic to Germany revealed the presence of the Black soldiers to nearby Waffen SS who quickly took the men prisoner. On the evening of December 17, the prisoners were brutally tortured and executed. Bradley was the only victim of the massacre whose family elected to repatriate his remains to the United States. He was interred in Section 6, Site 2698-E on December 15, 1947, almost exactly three-years after his death.
• Talahina (born Tiana) was one of the most powerful Cherokee women of the Tennessee region. She was the niece of two tribal leaders, Chief John Jolly and Chief Tallantusky, and the daughter of Scotch trader Captain John "Hell Fire" Rogers, who lived with the Cherokees. She became the second wife of Sam Houston, when he returned to Oklahoma to live with the tribe, ca. 1830. Houston would become president of the Republic of Texas. Talahina Rogers died from pneumonia in 1839, and was buried in Wilson Rock Cemetery, Sequoyah County. On September 4, 1904, her remains were reinterred in Fort Gibson National Cemetery, recognizing her political status by birth and marriage (Section OC, Site 2467).
• Vivia Thomas died January 7, 1870, and is buried in the officers' circle at Fort Gibson National Cemetery. Nothing else of her is known with certainty, but she is a significant figure in Oklahoma's folk history. Legend holds Thomas was from Boston and disguised herself as a man to follow her fiancé to the Indian Territory after he broke their engagement. She enlisted in the Army to be close to him and discovered his liaison with another woman. Thomas shot and killed him one night. Overcome with remorse, she kept vigil at the man's grave, where she contracted pneumonia and collapsed. The story ends with her comrades honoring her courage in traveling to the frontier alone and her interment in the officers' circle (Section OC, Site 2119).

Eligibility for burial at Fort Gibson 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 7:00 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.

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

Where Fort Gibson National Cemetery sits in the Oklahoma cemetery system

Fort Gibson National Cemetery is one of the veteran cemeteries operating in Oklahoma. 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 Gibson National Cemetery is fully reserved, those alternatives are typically the next options.