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VA National Cemeteries

Knoxville National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility

Knoxville, Tennessee · VA national cemetery

Address, hours, directions and contact details: Knoxville National Cemetery.

VeteranFunerals Editorial·4 min read·May 1, 2026·Facts checked

You can look up burials at Knoxville National Cemetery on VA's daily burial schedule, which lists the committal services families have agreed to publish. Veterans who were not dishonorably discharged can be buried here, and so can their spouses and some dependent children. To schedule a burial, you or the funeral director call VA's National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117.

History of Knoxville National Cemetery

Knoxville National Cemetery is located in Knox County, in the northern section of the city of Knoxville, TN.

Union Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside established the cemetery during the Civil War after the siege of Knoxville and subsequent Battle of Fort Sander.

Capt. E.B. Chamberlain, the assistant quartermaster, was assigned the task of designing the national cemetery at Knoxville. The first interments were remains exhumed from Cumberland Gap, Concord and many other regional sites. Chamberlain's design and system for recording interments was so effective that, in 1866, Gen. E.G. Whitman, observed that the cemetery had been "the only burial ground of Union soldiers…originally laid out and conducted to the present time in a manner and on a system that render[ed] it suitable to be converted into a national cemetery without material alteration or change, or removal of a single body."

Knoxville National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Notable veterans buried at Knoxville National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note at Knoxville National Cemetery, with section and site where it has them.

  • 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:
  • Sergeant Troy A. McGill (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, Troop G, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, in recognition of an intrepid stand in the Los Negros Islands, Admiralty Group, March 4, 1944. McGill was buried in the Air Force Mausoleum Manila No.1, Philippine Islands; his remains were reinterred on January 25, 1951, in Section B, Site 6294.
  • Private Timothy Spillane (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company C, 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry, for actions at Hatcher's Run, VA, February 5–7, 1865. Spillane died in 1901 and is buried in Section A, Site 3319.
  • Other Burials Among those interred at Knoxville National Cemetery is Brigadier General Robert Reese Neyland, retired U.S. Army. While General Neyland was attending West Point Military Academy, he was an aide to the Commandant of West Point, General Douglas Macarthur. After he assumed his military duties he was assigned as an ROTC instructor at the University of Tennessee, where he also served as football coach. During World War II General Neyland was recalled to serve his country. He was elevated to the rank of Brigadier General at that time and was one of the top-ranking officers in the China-Burma-India field of operation. Brigadier General Robert Reese Neyland and his wife Ada are interred in Section X, Site 16A.
  • Group Burials: We have several group burials in Knoxville National Cemetery:
  • 13 are interred in Section X, Site 7, 8, 9 A/B from World War II. 5 are interred in Section X, Site 46 A/B from World War II. 3 are interred in Section X, Site 31 A/B from World War II. 6 are interred in Section X, Site 57 A/B from World War II. 4 are interred in Section X, Site 58 A from World War II. 19 are interred in Section C, Site 3255 war period is unknown.

Visiting hours at Knoxville National Cemetery

Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset. Office Hours: This cemetery is administered by Mountain Home National Cemetery.

Who can be buried at Knoxville National Cemetery?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

  • A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
  • Opening and closing of the grave
  • A government-provided burial liner
  • A government-provided headstone or marker
  • Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Knoxville National Cemetery?

  1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
  2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
  3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Knoxville National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Knoxville National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Knoxville National Cemetery to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Knoxville National Cemetery directly at 423-855-6590.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

  • Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
  • Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
  • Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Tennessee law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Tennessee and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Funeral homes near Knoxville National Cemetery

A funeral director usually arranges the burial with the cemetery. These are the closest funeral homes by straight-line distance. Each one links to its full listing on FuneralUS, our funeral home directory.

  1. 0.8 mi from the cemetery
  2. Unity Mortuary
    Knoxville, TN
    1.0 mi from the cemetery
  3. 1.4 mi from the cemetery
  4. 1.9 mi from the cemetery
  5. 1.9 mi from the cemetery
  6. 2.4 mi from the cemetery

Search all funeral homes by ZIP on FuneralUS

FAQ

Questions about burial at Knoxville National Cemetery

  • Is burial at Knoxville National Cemetery free?

    Yes, for eligible veterans, spouses and dependent children. VA provides the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, a burial liner, a headstone or marker, and perpetual care at no cost. The funeral home's services, such as transport and any service before the burial, are arranged and paid for separately.

  • Can I reserve a gravesite at Knoxville National Cemetery in advance?

    No. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision before a death, but VA says the decision letter doesn't name a cemetery or gravesite, because neither can be reserved in advance.

  • How do I schedule a burial at Knoxville National Cemetery?

    Fax the veteran's discharge papers to 866-900-6417 or email them to [email protected]. Then you or the funeral director call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET). National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

  • Where can I see the burial schedule for Knoxville National Cemetery?

    On VA's daily burial schedule at https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/dailyburialschedule/. It covers every national cemetery, but it only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them.

  • Are military funeral honors provided at Knoxville National Cemetery?

    Yes, if you ask for them. Your funeral director, a Veterans Service Organization or the cemetery staff can arrange them. At minimum, two uniformed service members fold and present the burial flag at the committal shelter, and Taps is played.

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