Burial at Leavenworth National Cemetery: A family guide

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 documents the following veterans of note buried at Leavenworth 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:
• 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.
• Sergeant Robert McPhelan (Indian Wars) was born in Queens County Ireland around 1835. He enlisted into the Army in 1858 and was assigned to Company E, 5th United States Infantry Regiment. He participated in the Utah War (1857–1858), then served in New Mexico throughout the Civil War (1861–1865). Following Custer's defeat at Little Big Horn in June 1876, Colonel Nelson Miles led the 5th into the Montana Territory. Peace talks with Sitting Bull at Cedar Creek, MT, failed on October 21, 1876. Approximately 2,000 Sioux surrendered six days later. Sitting Bull and his ardent supporters fled north toward Canada through the winter, however. Nearly thirty soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor for this winter campaign, including McPhelan. He became a civilian employee with the Quartermaster at Leavenworth after his 1878 discharge. He died of pneumonia connected to service wounds in February 1884. He was buried in the paupers' section of Mount Cavalry Catholic Cemetery in Leavenworth and reinterred on June 4, 2021 in Section 69, Row 6, Site 61.

Eligibility for burial at Leavenworth 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 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.

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

Where Leavenworth National Cemetery sits in the Kansas cemetery system

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