Burial at Fort Jackson National Cemetery: A family guide

History of Fort Jackson National Cemetery

Columbia, SC, is located at the confluence of the Saluda and Broad rivers, which merge to form the Congaree. Due to its central location, the South Carolina General Assembly chose this site in 1786 for the new capitol. The state legislature first met in Columbia in 1790.

As a regional transportation hub, Columbia grew rapidly during the antebellum period. Area farmers brought cotton, tobacco, and other agricultural products destined for other U.S. cities and Europe to the city, to be transported by rail to the port of Charleston.

South Carolina in the late 1850s was a hotbed of secessionist sentiment, which escalated into full-throated calls to leave the Union after Abraham Lincoln was elected president in November 1860. On December 17, the First Baptist Church in Columbia hosted the South Carolina Secession Convention. By unanimous vote, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union.

Columbia was a Confederate stronghold until the final months of the Civil War. After the famous "March to the Sea" in late 1864, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman moved his troops north from Savannah, GA, toward Columbia. The city was defended by a small Confederate force under the command of Lieutenant General Wade Hampton III, a Columbia native. As the Union Army approached on February 17, 1865, retreating Confederates set stockpiles of cotton ablaze. Small groups of Union soldiers began to loot, vandalize, and start other fires, and soon much of Columbia was consumed in the conflagration.

Notable veterans buried at Fort Jackson National Cemetery

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

• 2nd Lieutenant William Henry Harth, Jr. (World War II). Harth (1921–1943) served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and was killed in action. He was memorialized in the Florence American cemetery in Italy on the wall of the missing before his remains were located, identified, and he was interred at Fort Jackson National Cemetery. He died in August 1943, was brought back to the United States in 2018. (Section 1, Site 1)
• Lieutenant General Ellie "Buck" Shuler, Jr. (Vietnam). Schuler (1936–2024) was a command pilot with more than 7,500 flying hours, including 209 combat hours accrued during the Vietnam War. He was promoted to lieutenant general March 23, 1988, with same date of rank and has earned Command Pilot Wings, Master Missile Badge, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. (Section 12, Site 76)

Eligibility for burial at Fort Jackson 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 sunrise to sunset. Office Hours: Monday through 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.

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

Where Fort Jackson National Cemetery sits in the South Carolina cemetery system

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