Cypress Hills National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. VA lists it as closed to new burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.
Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026
History of Cypress Hills National Cemetery
Despite the early optimism of both the Union and Confederacy, by summer 1862, it was increasingly evident that the Civil War would be both long and costly. It was also apparent that additional burial grounds would be needed to accommodate the growing number of Union soldiers who died from battle injuries and disease.
While New York City and its outskirts were outside the area of military conflict, numerous hospitals were set up here to care for wounded Union troops. Cypress Hills began as a zone of the Interior Military Cemetery and was located within the boundaries of the large and private Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn. Almost three acres were set aside for the burial of Civil War dead in what became known as Union Grounds. In 1870, the Cypress Hills Cemetery Corporation deeded the property to the United States for a consideration of $9,600. An inspection report of September 1870 indicates that 3,170 Union soldiers and 461 Confederate POWs were already buried there. Most of the interments came from military hospitals in the area. There were also a number of reinterments from cemeteries on Long Island Sound and in Rhode Island.
Prior to 1873, eligibility for burial in a national cemetery was restricted to U.S. soldiers who died as a result of injury or disease during the Civil War. In 1873, however, Congress approved legislation extending burial rights to honorably discharged soldiers, sailors and Marines who served during the war. To accommodate the growing number of burials requested at Cypress Hills, more than 15 acres were purchased in 1884. In addition, in 1941, a small tract within the old Cypress Hills Cemetery, known as the Mount of Victory Plot, was donated by the State of New York. Today the cemetery consists of three parcels totaling a little over 18 acres: the Union grounds, a larger area on Jamaica Avenue, and the Mount of Victory. Although Cypress Hills was established to honor Civil War veterans, its grounds include the graves of soldiers who fought in the American Revolution, Spanish-American War, Korean and Vietnam wars. Cypress Hills National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
Monuments and Memorials The 12-foot granite French Cross monument was erected in memory of 25 French sailors who died while on duty in American waters during World War I. Of the sailors who died, 22 are buried in the cemetery and three were returned to France for burial.
The granite and bronze Second Division American Expeditionary Forces monument was erected near the cemetery's rostrum.
The Eagle Monument was erected by laborers at Cypress Hill Cemetery about 1934. The stone eagle, with wings spread wide, was placed atop a stone pyramid erected by the Londino Construction Company, Bronx, NY, that same year.
The Ringgold Monument is a large obelisk that was erected by officers and soldiers who served under the command of Colonel Benjamin Ringgold.
The large, granite, British Navy Monument was erected in 1939 in memory of some British Revolutionary War soldiers whose remains were discovered in the 20th century and re-interred at Cypress Hills National Cemetery in 1909.
The 1881 Garfield memorial marks the former location of a commemorative oak tree that was planted in honor of President James A. Garfield, after he was assassinated. The James A. Garfield Oak Society, composed mostly of Germans residing in Eastern Brooklyn, sponsored the memorial tree.
Notable interments
The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note buried at Cypress Hills 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:
First Sergeant John Mapes Adams (Boxer Rebellion).
He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for actions near Tientsin, China, July 13, 1900. His alias was George Lawrence Day, and he was stationed in China, the Philippine Islands, and Panama. Adams died in 1921 and is buried in Section 2, Site 8262.
Sergeant Wilbur C.
Colyer (World War I). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, Company A, First Engineers, First Division in recognition of actions near Verdun, France, October 9, 1918. Colyer was later killed in action on October 10. He is buried in Section 2, Site 8588.
Coxswain John Cooper (Civil War).
He received the Medal of Honor twice, first while serving in the U.S. Navy on board the USS Brooklyn during the Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama, August 5, 1864; and second while serving as quartermaster on the staff of Acting Rear Admiral Henry Thatcher for actions during a fire on April 26, 1865. Cooper died in 1891 and is buried in Section 2, Site 5022.
Seaman Henry C.
Courtney. He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Navy for his actions on board the U.S. training ship Portsmouth, February 7, 1882. Courtney died in 1887 and is buried in Section 6, Site 12222.
Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph Daly (Boxer Rebellion; Haitian Campaign, 1915).
He received the Medal of Honor twice, first while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during the battle of Peking, China, August 14, 1900; and second while serving with the 15th Company at Fort Liberte, Republic of Haiti, October 24, 1915. Daly died in 1937 and is buried in Section 5, Site 70.
Private James J.
Dougherty (1871 Korean Campaign). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for actions during the attack and capture of the Korean forts, June 11, 1871. Dougherty died in 1897 and is buried in Section 6, Site 12374.
Private Christopher Freemeyer (Indian Wars).
He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company D, 5th U.S. Infantry, for actions at Cedar Creek, Montana Territory, from October 21, 1876, to January 8, 1877. Freemeyer died in 1894 and is buried in Section 2, Site 5259.
Sergeant Major Frederick W.
Gerber (Indian Wars). He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry during service in the U.S. Army, U.S. Engineers, throughout his 32-year career (1839–1871). Gerber died in 1875 and is buried in Section 2, Site 6101.
Sergeant Patrick Golden (Indian Wars).
He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company B, 8th U.S. Cavalry, for actions in Arizona Territory, from August to October 1868. Golden died in 1872 and is buried in Section 2, Site 5499.
Directions
J.F. Kennedy International Airport to Cypress Hills National Cemetery. Total distance is approximately 10 miles. Take the Belt Parkway westbound to Exit 17W - North Conduit Avenue.
Continue west on North Conduit Avenue and it will merge into Atlantic Avenue. Shortly after the merge, turn right into Hale Avenue. (There is a Sunoco Gas Station on the corner of North Conduit Avenue and Hale Avenue). Continue on Hale Avenue to the end and Cypress Hills National Cemetery will be directly in front of you.
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. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.
Education and visiting programs
More than half of VA's national cemeteries originated with the Civil War and many are closed to some burials. Other sites were established to serve World War veterans and they continue to expand. Historic themes related with NCA's cemeteries and soldiers' lots vary, but visitors should understand "Why is it here?" NCA began by installing interpretive signs, or waysides, at more than 100 properties to observe the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011–2015). Please follow the links below to see the interpretive signs for Cypress Hills National Cemetery.
A National Cemetery System Cypress Hills National Cemetery - Medal of Honor Cypress Hills National Cemetery - Col. Benjamin Ringold Confederate Burials in the National Cemetery - New York City in the Civil War
Who can be buried at Cypress Hills 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 Cypress Hills 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 Cypress Hills National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.
VA lists Cypress Hills National Cemetery as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.
Where is the Cypress Hills National Cemetery burial schedule?
VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Cypress Hills 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 Cypress Hills National Cemetery directly at 631-454-4949.
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 New York law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in New York 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 Cypress Hills National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:
- Cypress Hills National Cemetery (Mount of Victory Plot), Brooklyn, NY: 0 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
- Cypress Hills National Cemetery (Union Grounds Plot), Brooklyn, NY: 0 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
- St. Albans National Cemetery, Queens, NY: 6 mi, status not listed
Funeral homes near Cypress Hills 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.
- Leon W. Brown Funeral HomeBrooklyn, NY0.9 mi from the cemetery
- Seneca Chapels Ltd D'Angelo Funeral Home Inc.Ridgewood, NY1.0 mi from the cemetery
- Funeraria Juan-John's Funeral HomeBrooklyn, NY1.0 mi from the cemetery
- Wasmund & Sorice Funeral ChapelsGlendale, NY1.0 mi from the cemetery
- George Werst Funeral HomeGlendale, NY1.1 mi from the cemetery
- Thomas F. Boland Funeral ParlorWoodhaven, NY1.1 mi from the cemetery