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Leavenworth National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility

Leavenworth, Kansas · VA national cemetery

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

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

You can look up burials at Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth National Cemetery

Leavenworth National Cemetery is associated with the Western Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers; one of 11 facilities which served as precursors for Veterans Administration Medical Centers. Today the cemetery encompasses 128.8 acres at the southeast portion of the facility.

Prior to the construction of the healthcare facility, the land had been part of a Delaware Indian reservation, and later the Stockbridge (Indian) Baptist Mission. The cemetery was designed concurrent to construction of the first buildings of the National Home; 17 structures were completed by 1886, the same year Thomas Brennan was interred. The design of the cemetery landscape is attributed to H. W. S. Cleveland, with roads that wind up the hill overlooking the Missouri River valley.

The "Old Soldier's Home," as it was known colloquially, became an integral component of the community. The first local trolley line connected Ft. Leavenworth and the soldier's home by way of the town of Leavenworth.

The medical facility was transferred to the Veterans Administration (VA) when it was formed in 1930. The cemetery was elevated to national cemetery status and transferred to the new National Cemetery System within VA in 1973. Among the noteworthy burials are the remains of 12 Native Americans that were discovered during the excavation for a new medical building and were re-interred in the National Cemetery. Seven Medal of Honor recipients are buried here.

Notable veterans buried at Leavenworth National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note at Leavenworth 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:
  • Private William W. Burritt (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company G, 113th Illinois Infantry, for actions at Vicksburg, Mississippi, April 27, 1863. Burritt died in 1901 and is buried in Section 16, Row 5, Site 7.
  • Second Lieutenant Daniel A. Dorsey (Civil War). Dorsey was one of the first recipients of the Medal of Honor for actions during "The Great Locomotive Chase" at Big Shanty, Georgia, in April 1862. He served in the U.S. Army, Company H, 33rd Ohio Infantry, and was captured during the raid. Released on a prisoner exchange, Dorsey received his award in September 1863. Dorsey died in 1918 and is buried in Section 11, Row 19, Site 8.
  • Corporal John S. Durham (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company F, 1st Wisconsin Infantry, for actions at Perryville, Kentucky, October 8, 1862. Durham died in 1918 and is buried in Section 33, Row 10, Site18.
  • Sergeant William Garrett (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company G, 41st Ohio Infantry, for actions at Nashville, Tennessee, December 16, 1864. Garrett died in 1916 and is buried in Section 32, Row 3, Site 26.
  • Specialist Charles C. Hagemeister (Vietnam) was born on August 21, 1946, in Nebraska. He was drafted while on a break from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1966, and became a medical specialist in Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry (1st Cavalry Division). On March 20, 1967, his unit was ambushed and surrounded at Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam. Braving constant fire for hours, he repeatedly exposed himself to save his comrades and neutralized a sniper and other enemies. President Lyndon Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Hagemeister in May 1968. He remained in the Army, received a commission, and retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1990. Subsequently, he served on the faculty of the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He died May 19, 2021, and is interred in Section 69, Row 6, Site 55.

Visiting hours at Leavenworth National Cemetery

Visitation Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 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.

Who can be buried at Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Leavenworth National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth National Cemetery directly at 913-727-1376.

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 Kansas law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Kansas 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 Leavenworth 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. 1.5 mi from the cemetery
  2. Davis Funeral Chapel, Inc
    Leavenworth, KSMilitary honors services
    3.2 mi from the cemetery
  3. 4.0 mi from the cemetery
  4. 4.4 mi from the cemetery
  5. Rollins Funeral Home
    Platte City, MO
    9.2 mi from the cemetery
  6. 11.0 mi from the cemetery

Search all funeral homes by ZIP on FuneralUS

FAQ

Questions about burial at Leavenworth National Cemetery

  • Is burial at Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth 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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