Burial at Santa Fe National Cemetery: A family guide

History of Santa Fe National Cemetery

Santa Fe National Cemetery is located within the city limits of Santa Fe, NM, approximately one mile northwest of the main plaza.

Thirteen years before the Pilgrims settled in Plymouth Colony, the Spanish had established a small settlement in Santa Fe, NM. Santa Fe would soon become the seat of power for the Spanish Empire north of the Rio Grande and the oldest capital city in North America. Santa Fe is the site of both the oldest public building in America, the Palace of the Governors, and the nation's oldest community celebration, the Santa Fe Fiesta, established in 1712 to commemorate the Spanish reconquest of New Mexico in summer 1692. Conquistador Don Pedro de Peralta and his men laid out the plan for Santa Fe at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the site of the ancient Pueblo ruin of Kaupoge, or "place of shell beads near the water."

When Mexico gained its independence from Spain, Santa Fe became the capital of the province of New Mexico. With the Spanish defeat came an end to the policy of a closed empire; American trappers and traders journeyed into the region along the 1,000 mile Santa Fe trail beginning in Arrow Rock, MO. For a brief period in 1837, northern New Mexico farmers rebelled against Mexican rule, killing the provincial governor in what has been called the Chimayó Rebellion, and occupying the capital. The insurrectionists were soon defeated and peace returned to Santa Fe for almost a decade.

In 1846, at the outset of the Mexican-American War, President James K. Polk asked General Stephen Watts Kearny to muster an army and march 1,000 miles into the Southwest to claim that region for the United States and organize territorial governments along the way. Kearny, faced with a Mexican administration weakened by years of occupation and political turmoil, was able to take Santa Fe without firing a shot. In quick succession, he won over the local leadership, assured a peaceful transition to a new civilian government and implemented a new legal code for the territory before continuing on to Arizona and California.

Notable veterans buried at Santa Fe National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration documents the following veterans of note buried at Santa Fe 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:
• Chief Water Tender Edward A. Clary. He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Navy for actions after a boiler accident on board the USS Hopkins, February 14, 1910. Clary died in 1939 and is buried in Section O, Site 335.
• Private Edwin L. Elwood (Indian Wars). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company G, 8th U.S. Cavalry, for actions in the Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona Territory, October 20, 1869. Elwood died in 1907 and is buried in Section H, Site 705.
• Specialist 4 Daniel D. Fernandez (Vietnam). Daniel D. Fernandez, native of New Mexico, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1965 and served with Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Mechanized Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. On February 18, 1966, while attempting to evacuate a wounded soldier, Fernandez and his comrades were ambushed. When a grenade landed in the middle of the group, to protect fellow soldiers, Fernandez sacrificed himself by covering the grenade blast with his body. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously on April 26, 1967. He is buried in Section S, Site 246.
• Corporal Jacob Guenther (Indian Wars). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company E, 8th U.S. Cavalry, for actions in the Arizona Territory in 1868–1869. His citation was awarded under the name of Gunther. He died in 1871 and is buried in Section A-3, Site 1055.
• Corporal Thomas Murphy (Indian Wars). Thomas Murphy was born in Kerry, Ireland, and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1868. While serving in Company F, 8th U.S. Cavalry, Corporal Murphy received the Medal of Honor for actions on August 25, 1869, in Seneca Mountain, Arizona Territory. Murphy died June 27, 1881, and was buried in the cemetery at Fort Grant, Arizona. When the post closed, his remains were reinterred in Section A-1, Site 740.
• Captain Raymond G. "Jerry" Murphy (Korea). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, for actions in Korea, February 3, 1953. Murphy died in 2007 and is buried in Section S, Site 282.

Eligibility for burial at Santa Fe 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 sunrise to sunset. Office Hours: Monday through 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 Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe National Cemetery at the assigned time. The cemetery handles opening, closing, and perpetual care from that point.

Where Santa Fe National Cemetery sits in the New Mexico cemetery system

Santa Fe National Cemetery is one of the veteran cemeteries operating in New Mexico. 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 Santa Fe National Cemetery is fully reserved, those alternatives are typically the next options.