Burial at Tahoma National Cemetery: A family guide

History of Tahoma National Cemetery

Tahoma National Cemetery was established November 11, 1993, and opened for interments on October 1, 1997. The cemetery was dedicated on September 26, 1997. A small expansion project was completed in March 2006. The $6 million project included over 12,000 new columbarium niches, more than 5,000 pre-placed crypts, road improvements, new signage, a third committal shelter and a third funeral cortege lane at the Public Information Center. Phase II of the expansion project was completed in June, 2014. The $24 million project included over 14,000 new columbarium niches, more than 9,000 pre-placed crypts, 6,000 in-ground garden cremation sites, two memorial walls and an ossuary. Two new roads for accessing the new burial sections were constructed using permeable asphalt. The three new columbarium complexes contain rain gardens and bio swales to help mitigate the need for storm water runoff and retention ponds.

Monument and Memorials Tahoma has a Memorial walkway containing 36 memorials that commemorate soldiers of various 20th century wars, donated by various service organizations. At the northeast corner of the walkway is the POW-MIA flag. At the southwest corner of the walkway is a carillon that was donated by the Navy Fleet reserve Association Seattle branch 18 and was installed in 2010, dedicated to the volunteers of Tahoma National Cemetery.

A Blue Star Memorial is located south of the Public Information Center. The marker was originally part of a banner that families displayed in their homes during the 1940s to signify that they had a loved one fighting in World War II. Today, the marker honors all veterans.

Notable veterans buried at Tahoma National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration documents the following veterans of note buried at Tahoma 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:
• Corporal Jesse T. Barrick (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company H, 3d Minnesota Infantry, for actions near Duck River, TN, May 26 – June 2, 1863. Barrick received a commission as an officer, Company G, 57th U.S. Colored Troops Infantry Regiment, in July 1864; he mustered out of service that October. Second Lieutenant Barrick died in 1923. His remains were interred with full military honors in February 2000, in Section 8, Site 108.
• Sergeant Dexter J. Kerstetter (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company C, 130th Infantry, 33rd Infantry Division, for actions near Galiano, Luzon, Philippine Islands, April 13, 1945. Kerstetter died in 1972 and is buried in Section 9B, Site 12.
• Master Sergeant Wilburn K. Ross (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company G, 30th Infantry, 3d Division, for actions near St. Jacques, France, October 30, 1944. Ross died in 2017 and is buried in Section 28B, Site 479.
• Other Burials GM1 Leo George Allard (World War II). Allard (1922–2025) was one of only a dozen survivors of Pearl Harbor at the time of his death, having served honorably on the USS Reid on December 7, 1941. Allard was from Springfield, MA and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in October 1940 and joined the Reid crew in February 1941. (Section I, Row D, Site 13.)
• Sergeant First Class Nathan Ross Chapman – first American serviceman to die from hostile fire in the war in Afghanistan in 2002. Sergeant Chapman was a communications specialist with the 1st Special Forces Group at Fort Lewis, WA. (Section 6, Site 33).
• Francis Agnes – former POW (1941 to 1945), survivor of the Bataan Death March, founder of the Tahoma National Cemetery Support Group (Section 24, Site 717).

Eligibility for burial at Tahoma 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: Cemetery gates operate automatically, opening at 6:00 a.m. and closing between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. depending on hours of daylight. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 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 Tahoma 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 Tahoma National Cemetery at the assigned time. The cemetery handles opening, closing, and perpetual care from that point.

Where Tahoma National Cemetery sits in the Washington cemetery system

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