Burial at Fort Sill National Cemetery: A family guide

History of Fort Sill National Cemetery

Fort Sill National Cemetery in Elgin, OK, was dedicated on November 2, 2001. The Fort Sill National Cemetery was the second national cemetery to be constructed in Oklahoma and became the 120th national cemetery to be administered by the National Cemetery Administration. Fort Sill National Cemetery lies in southwestern Oklahoma, approximately 75 miles from Oklahoma City and five miles north of Lawton. Land for the national cemetery was transferred from the Department of the Army's Ft. Sill Military Reservation in 1998.

The cemetery is situated on land that was once Indian Territory. A military reservation was staked out in January 1869 by Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan and was formally established as Camp Wichita the following month. Sheridan later renamed the garrison as Fort Sill in honor of fellow West Point classmate, Brigadier General Joshua W. Sill, who died in the Battle of Stones' River during the Civil War. Fort Sill's mission was one of law enforcement for the expanding American frontier. The arrival of the Quohada Comanches to Fort Sill in June 1875 marked the end of Indian warfare of the south Plains.

In the 1890s, Apache Chief Geronimo and 341 other Apache prisoners of war were brought to Fort Sill by the government. Geronimo was granted permission to travel briefly with Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show and also visited with President Theodore Roosevelt. Geronimo died of pneumonia at Fort Sill on February 17, 1909, at the age of 83 and is buried in the post cemetery at Fort Sill. Lt. Hugh L. Scott instructed the remaining Apache prisoners of war on how to build houses, raise crops and herd cattle. Many spent the remainder of their lives at Fort Sill.

The last Native American lands in Oklahoma opened for settlement in 1901 and 29,000 homesteaders registered at Fort Sill for the land lottery during July. On August 6 of that year, the town of Lawton sprang up and quickly grew to become the third-largest city in Oklahoma. As of 2005, Lawton currently is the fourth largest city in Oklahoma, having fallen behind Norman in the last census. With the disappearance of the frontier, the mission of Fort Sill gradually changed from cavalry to field artillery. The first artillery battery arrived at Fort Sill in 1902 and the last cavalry regiment departed in May 1907.

Notable veterans buried at Fort Sill National Cemetery

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

• Evelyn B. (Urich) Einfeldt was born in Kansas in 1922. She graduated from high school early, but opportunities remained scarce in the Depression. Einfeldt stayed with relatives in Iowa and found a job in a defense plant. In eight months she was a line leader. She joined the Navy in 1943 and with other WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) trained at Hunter College (NY) and Washington, D.C. WAVE Petty Officer Einfeldt worked in Dayton (OH) assembling the BOMBE, a machine used to decode German and Japanese transmissions used during World War II. By the end of the conflict, WAVES represented 2.5 percent of U.S. Navy personnel. The women were discharged in 1947 and the BOMBE project was classified until the end of the 20th century. In 1996, Einfeldt was recognized as Oklahoma's female veteran of the year. She died April 26, 2006 (Section 33, Site 73).
• On April 28, 2006, Technical Sgt. Alfred Wesley Hill's remains were laid to rest at the Fort Sill National Cemetery. TSgt Hill was missing in action for 62 years. He and eight crewmembers were onboard the B-24 bomber that disappeared after leaving Dobodura, New Guinea on an armed reconnaissance mission flying over Kavieng, New Ireland. He was last reported alive near Morobe Province, New Guinea on November 5, 1943. Remnants of all nine crewmen were found, identified, and returned to their families.

Eligibility for burial at Fort Sill 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 6:00 p.m. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial 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 Sill 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 Sill National Cemetery at the assigned time. The cemetery handles opening, closing, and perpetual care from that point.

Where Fort Sill National Cemetery sits in the Oklahoma cemetery system

Fort Sill 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 Sill National Cemetery is fully reserved, those alternatives are typically the next options.