Biloxi National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Biloxi, Mississippi. VA lists it as open for burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.
Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026
History of Biloxi National Cemetery
Biloxi National Cemetery is located in Harrison County, about five miles west of the center of Biloxi on the grounds of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) and adjacent to the Keesler Field Air Force Base in Mississippi.
The cemetery was established in March 1934 as part of the VA Medical Center. Biloxi Cemetery's first burial was held on March 24,1934, with the interment of Private Edgar A. Ross, 1st Regiment of the Tennessee Infantry.
From 1934 to 1973 the purpose of Biloxi Cemetery was to provide a final resting place solely for veterans who died in the adjoining medical center. The allocation of cemetery space in Biloxi remained restricted until the passage of the 1973 National Cemetery Act, which opened the cemetery to all honorably discharged veterans and their dependents, active duty personnel and their dependents regardless of home of residence or where death occurred. The first interment after the facility was designated Biloxi National Cemetery was Chief Master Sergeant Robert E. Callender, U.S. Air Force.
Since its establishment in 1934, Biloxi's has increased in size twice as the result of land transfers from the VAMC. In 1982, 17 acres were added to the original 25 and, in 1996, 12 more were added for a total of 54 acres.
Monuments and Memorials Biloxi National Cemetery Monument is approximately 30 feet tall and 10 feet in diameter; it was erected in May 1941 to commemorate all who have served their country.
A square granite marker located around the main flag pole was donated by the National Association of Atomic Veterans on November 9, 1990, in memory of veterans who participated in the U.S. nuclear weapons testing program.
A square granite marker located around the main flag pole was donated by the U.S. Navy Seabees on July 1, 2010, in memory of veterans who served as U.S. Navy Seabees.
A memorial plaque with an original poem by First Lieutenant William S. Haynie, U.S. Marine Corps, titled "This Hollowed Place" was donated in conjunction with American Legion Post 119 in Gulfport, MS.
Notable interments
The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note buried at Biloxi National Cemetery, with section and site where recorded.
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:
Colonel Ira C.
Welborn (Spanish-American War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, 9th U.S. Infantry, for actions in Santiago, Cuba, July 2, 1898. Welborn died in 1956 and is buried in Section 12, Row 4, Site 12.
Other Burials Six unknown soldiers who served in the Mexican-American War are buried in Section H, grave 4 and 5, and Section DD, graves 25, 26, 27 and 28.
They were reinterred at Biloxi National Cemetery on Veterans Day 1989 and Memorial Day 2010, respectively. These soldiers died at Camp Jefferson Davis on Greenwood Island in 1848. The camp was established as a homecoming port for soldiers returning to the United States from the Mexican-American War. The burials became visible on the island as a result of beach erosion. Archaeological efforts in the late 1970s–1980s and again in 2008–2009 resulted in the identification of the men as U.S soldiers.
Directions
Directions from Gulfport/Biloxi International Airport: Biloxi National Cemetery, take I-10 East to Exit 46 A (Biloxi /Keesler Air Force Base) onto I-110 South. Take Exit 1B (Gulfport-West). Go west on Highway 90, exactly three miles and stay in the right lane. Turn right on Veterans Avenue, go through one signal light and enter VA property. Take the first road on the right after coming in the main entrance and you will be at the Biloxi National Cemetery.
Flowers and grounds rules
Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.
Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Please limit your gravesite arrangements to:
Who can be buried at Biloxi 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 Biloxi National Cemetery?
- 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).
- 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.
- You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Biloxi National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.
Where is the Biloxi National Cemetery burial schedule?
VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Biloxi 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 Biloxi National Cemetery directly at 228-388-6668.
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 Mississippi law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Mississippi 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.
Nearest cemeteries
The three veterans cemeteries closest to Biloxi National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:
- Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery - Kilmichael, Kilmichael, MS: 33 mi, open for burials
- Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery - Newton, Newton, MS: 57 mi, open for burials
- Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, Rayville, LA: 135 mi, open for burials
Funeral homes near Biloxi 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.
- Dotson Memorial HomeKosciusko, MS1.0 mi from the cemetery
- Culpepper Funeral HomeCanton, MS1.2 mi from the cemetery
- Myricks Funeral HomeCarthage, MS1.2 mi from the cemetery
- Winters Funeral HomeKosciusko, MS1.7 mi from the cemetery
- Jordan Funeral HomeKosciusko, MSMilitary honors services2.5 mi from the cemetery
- Southern Funeral HomeLexington, MS16.2 mi from the cemetery