Burial at Fort Snelling National Cemetery: A family guide

History of Fort Snelling National Cemetery

Fort Snelling National Cemetery is located in Minneapolis, MN. It is one of seven national cemeteries created between the world wars, 1934–1939, to increase the size of the national cemetery system. It was the first major expansion since the Civil War, to serve a growing veteran population at a time when burial space at existing national cemeteries was depleting rapidly. The new cemetery locations were based on veterans' residence. The other inter world war national cemeteries are Baltimore, Maryland; Fort Bliss and Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Fort Rosecrans and Golden Gate, California; and Long Island, New York.

The federal government established the first frontier post at the junction of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers near present-day Minneapolis in 1805. In 1820, Colonel Josiah Snelling of the 5th U.S. Army Infantry Regiment oversaw the construction of a permanent post here, named Fort Anthony. General Winfield Scott inspected the fort in 1824 and he was so impressed that he recommended its name be changed to that of its commander.

Fort Snelling served as a permanent frontier post until 1855 when it was demoted to a supply depot. The Civil War (1861–1865) prompted an expansion of the fort into a training center for Minnesota volunteers, and after the war it functioned as headquarters and supply base for the Military Department of the Dakota. Soldiers from Fort Snelling served in western wars against Native Americans and in the Spanish American War (1898–1902). Used for training through the world wars, it was deactivated in 1947.

A small post cemetery served the military and civilians at Fort Snelling during the years when it was active. The first recorded burial was in 1826 and by the 1930s it contained several hundred graves. The growing veteran population — primarily from World War I — in the St. Paul-Minneapolis region spurred veterans' groups through the 1930s to petition Congress to establish a new national cemetery — no national cemetery existed in the region. In 1937, the War Department was authorized to allocate 180 acres in the southwest corner of the Fort Snelling Military Reservation for a new cemetery. Of the interwar cemeteries, Ft. Snelling is the only one constructed entirely because of intent to accommodate the Veteran population. It marked a transformation in cemetery construction policy that emphasized convenience as an element of burial privilege. That summer, New Deal Works Progress Administration (WPA) laborers broke ground, to develop 40 acres into burial sections, and to construct a lodge, utility buildings, and massive gates in a stark Stripped Classicism architectural style.

Notable veterans buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration documents the following veterans of note buried at Fort Snelling 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:
• Captain Richard E. Fleming (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Marine Corps, Marine Scout-Bombing Squadron 241, in recognition of perseverance and intrepidity in action during the Battle of Midway, June 4–5, 1942. On June 5, Captain Fleming's plane was struck during an approach glide, and he crashed into the sea in flames. He is memorialized in Section F-1, Site 111.
• Private First Class Richard E. Kraus (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Marine Corps, 8th Amphibious Tractor Battalion, in recognition of prompt action and great personal valor that saved the lives of his companions, at the cost of his own, in Pelelie, Palau Islands, October 5, 1944. Kraus is buried in Section DS, Site 61N.
• Private First Class James D. LaBelle (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service with the U.S. Marine Corps, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division, in recognition of dauntless courage and self-sacrifice that saved the lives of others during the seizure of Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, March 8, 1945. LaBelle is buried in Section B-1, Site 422S.
• Captain George H. Mallon (World War I). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, 132rd Infantry, 33rd Division, for actions in the Bois-de-Forges, France, September 26, 1918. Mallon died in 1934 and is buried in Section DS, Site 1-S.
• Commander Oscar F. Nelson. He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Navy on board the USS Bennington for extraordinary heroism when a boiler exploded on the vessel at San Diego, California, July 21, 1905. Nelson died in 1951 and is buried in Section DS, Site 64-N.
• Captain Arlo Olson (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, 15th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division, in recognition of actions during the crossing of the Volturno River, Italy, October 13, 1943. Captain Olson led the advance for thirteen days that October and reached the summit of Monte San Nicola, where he was mortally wounded. He died October 28, 1943, and is buried in Section C-24, Site 13787.

Eligibility for burial at Fort Snelling 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: April–October (during Daylight Savings Time): Open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Open weekends and federal holidays from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. November–March: Open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Open weekends and federal holidays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Office Hours: Weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Second Wednesday of the month from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Last Wednesday of the month from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 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 Snelling 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 Snelling National Cemetery at the assigned time. The cemetery handles opening, closing, and perpetual care from that point.

Where Fort Snelling National Cemetery sits in the Minnesota cemetery system

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