Burial at Willamette National Cemetery: A family guide

History of Willamette National Cemetery

Willamette National Cemetery is located about 10 miles southeast of Portland, OR, straddling the Multnomah and Clackamas County lines. As the result of lobbying efforts by several veterans' organizations, Congress passed Public Law 388 authorizing the Secretary of War to establish a national cemetery in the Portland vicinity in 1941. Although President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the bill into law, he felt that funds for the purchase of land should be limited to defense needs. As a result, no appropriation was made to build the cemetery.

At the conclusion of World War II, regional authorities again began urging the development of a national cemetery in Oregon. In 1949, the state donated approximately 102 acres and subsequent donations in 1952 brought the total land area to a little over 201 acres. Construction work started in 1950, and the area was officially designated Willamette National Cemetery on December 14, 1950. The first burial occurred in 1951.

An additional 68 acres were dedicated in 1997 and include additional burial sections and columbaria. The latest addition to the cemetery was the 2011 purchase of 38 adjacent acres that are held for future development.

Monuments and Memorials Willamette National Cemetery is home to the Oregon Korean Veterans Memorial. This series of polished, black granite walls memorializes 283 Oregon servicemen and women who lost their lives in that conflict. Willamette National Cemetery is designated a Blue Star Memorial Highway site.

Notable veterans buried at Willamette National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration documents the following veterans of note buried at Willamette 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:
• Lieutenant Colonel Stanley T. Adams (Korea). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company A, 19th Infantry Regiment, for actions near Sesim-ni, Korea, February 4, 1951. Adams died in 1999 and is buried in Section H, Site 3623-O.
• First Lieutenant Arnold L. Bjorklund (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, 142nd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division, for actions near Altavilla, Italy, September 13, 1943. Bjorklund died in 1979 and is buried in Section H, Site 3622-O.
• Specialist 4th Class Larry G. Dahl (Vietnam). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, 359th Transportation Company, U.S. Support Command, in recognition of courageous disregard for personal safety that saved the lives of fellow soldiers at the cost of his own at An Khe, Binh Dinh Province, Republic of Vietnam, February 23, 1971. Dahl is buried in Section H, Site 3622-M.
• Sergeant 1st Class Loren R. Kaufman (Korea). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, Company G, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, in recognition of actions near Yongsan, Korea, September 4–5, 1950. Kaufman died in 1951 and is buried in Section H, Site 3622-N.
• Other Burials Oregon Governor and U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield (Section H, Site 3623-H)
• Carson Lee Bigbee (1895–1964) was born in Oregon, the youngest of three boys. His parents were teachers and all three children were gifted athletes. Bigbee's comparatively small size and speed on the field earned him the nickname "Skeeter" in high school. Professional baseball teams took notice, but he followed his brothers to the University of Oregon. Skeeter Bigbee joined the professional leagues in 1916 and was picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the off-season, he worked in the Portland shipyards. He was drafted for military service in World War I, and joined the U.S. Army's Coast Artillery Corps, as a private, in 1918. After the war, he finished his professional baseball career with the Pirates in 1926 and he, and his family, made Portland home for many years. He died October 17, and is buried in Section T, Site 3269.

Eligibility for burial at Willamette 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 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time and 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Veterans Day 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 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 Willamette 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 Willamette National Cemetery at the assigned time. The cemetery handles opening, closing, and perpetual care from that point.

Where Willamette National Cemetery sits in the Oregon cemetery system

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