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VA National Cemetery

Dayton National Cemetery

4400 West Third Street · Dayton, OH 45428

Open for burial

Dayton National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Dayton, Ohio. 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 Dayton National Cemetery

Dayton National Cemetery, located in Montgomery County, Ohio, was established as the permanent burial site for residents of the Central Branch of the National Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in 1867. It is one of 11 federal cemeteries affiliated with the system of National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. Management of these facilities was transferred from the U.S. Army/National Home system to the newly created Veterans Administration in 1930.

The design of the cemetery is attributed to Chaplain (and Capt.) William B. Earnshaw, who was considered to have "judgment and taste" in these matters. Earnshaw served in the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the Cumberland, from which he was named superintendent at Stones River and Nashville National Cemeteries. In September 1867, Earnshaw arrived at the Dayton Soldiers Home, as it became known, having been encouraged to seek the position by Gen. George Thomas.

The Soldiers Home cemeteries were to be "laid out and cared for, as far as practicable, in the manner prescribed for National Cemeteries." The single-most visual cemetery construction is the lofty Soldiers' Monument around which faceted, concentric rows of graves are arranged. Two features found here are common to many older national cemeteries. There are two ornamental 19th-century cannons located at the base of Soldiers' Monument, and seven "Bivouac of the Dead" verse tablets.

When a death occurred here or a deceased veteran was delivered to the facility, the hospital's Council of Administration was notified and steps taken to protect the man's person and belongings prior to his removal to the morgue. A tunnel connecting the hospital and cemetery was built in 1870. Among the permanent improvements to the home in 1887 was the completion of a "new receiving vault" connected with the hospital, which was a "very great convenience to the institution." Furthermore, every resident was to be buried in a "clean suit of the Home uniform."

Standardized products were used in burials. "Class I" items used at the homes included standard-manufacture "coffin-lowering devices." Burial caskets were "to be made of good quality, well seasoned, soft lumber; to be covered with crapine, craponette or other suitable casket cloth of similar, inexpensive grade; to be lined inside with a good quality of bleached muslin, and to be provided with the usual trimmings of white metal; dimensions to be specified." In addition, according to National Home regulations, funerals were "conducted in accordance with military usage, the honors prescribed by the U.S. Army," including an officiating chaplain. It was also mandatory for "a band of the branch [to] attend all funerals, unless the weather is too inclement."

Between 1867 and the late 1880s, annual deaths in the Central Branch crept from six up to 847, a number that, according to Harper's magazine, was "remarkably low, considering the age and debility of the subjects." Annual deaths at Dayton by the end of the 19th century topped out at nearly 1,400. Between 1900 and 1930 (the year the Veterans Administration took over management), veteran deaths peaked between 1907 and 1918 (ranging from 2,331 to 2,352), with the highest single-year mortality in 1916 with 2,583 deaths. By this time, the small number of War of 1812 and Mexican War veterans had long since passed away. The youngest Civil War veterans were approaching their late sixties, and younger Spanish-American and World War I veterans would have taken up residency.

Monuments and Memorials The Dayton Soldiers' Monument dominates the national cemetery from atop a mound at the center of the landscape. The cornerstone was laid in 1873, and it was completed in 1877. This dramatic structure is composed of a 30-foot marble column on a granite base with an ornamental cap and soldier posed at parade rest. The column was one of six that were salvaged from the Benjamin Henry Latrobe-designed Bank of Philadelphia when it was demolished in 1867–1868. Latrobe worked on the White House and U.S. Capitol, and is credited with introducing Greek Revival architecture to America. The monument was designed by veterans at the soldiers' home and the Philadelphia-firm of William Struthers and Sons, expert stonemasons, carved the base, capital and statue. President Rutherford B. Hayes, Ohioan and former Union general, delivered the dedication address for the monument on September 12, 1877, to a crowd of about 22,000. Some years after the dedication, four figures representing the Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery and Navy were added at the corners of the base. Two ornamental artillery cannons now flank the Soldiers' Monument.

The "Memorial to 33 soldiers of the War of 1812 Buried in this Cemetery..." is a bronze plaque affixed to a tall boulder. The text continues: "Honoring Josephine C. Diefenbach state president 1915–1932. Erected by the Ohio Society United States Daughters of 1812 on the anniversary of Perry's Victory, September 10, 1936."

Notable interments

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note buried at Dayton 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:

Lieutenant Henry W.

Downs (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company I, 8th Vermont Infantry, for actions at Winchester, VA, September 19, 1864. Downs died in 1911 and is buried in Section Q, Row 7, Site 24.

Private Oscar Wadsworth Field (Spanish-American War).

He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for actions on board the USS Nashville in Cuba, May 11, 1898. Field died in 1912 and is buried in Section O-Q, Row A, Site 9.

Sergeant George Geiger (Indian Wars).

He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company H, 7th U.S. Cavalry, for actions at the Little Big Horn River, Montana Territory, on June 25, 1876. Geiger died in 1904 and is buried in Section N, Row 20, Site 47.

Seaman John H.

James (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Navy for actions on board the USS Richmond during the Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama, August 5, 1864. James died in 1914 and is buried in Section 1, Row 19, Site 58.

Private Charles A.

Taggart (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company B, 37th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, for actions at Sailor's Creek, Virginia, on April 6, 1865. Taggart died in 1938 and is buried in Section R, Row 9, Site 14.

Other Burials Emma Lloyd was born in 1828 and married Joseph Miller by the early 1850s.

They lived in Pennsylvania and Illinois before settling in Ohio with their three young children. When the Civil War began, Miller enlisted in the Army and served in Regiment 93, Company B of the Pennsylvania Volunteers. He died ca. 1862. Emma Miller became active in Ohio's chapters of the United States Sanitary Commission, the relief agency established for the sick and wounded. She cared for disabled soldiers at Camp Chase, and oversaw the Ohio Soldiers Home in 1865. Two years later, Miller became the first matron of the hospital at the Central Branch of the National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. In 1895 she was appointed Superintendent of the Central Branch Depot. She died January 18, 1914, and was buried with full military honors (CIV, Row 3, Site 2).

Christian Null (Revolutionary War).

Null (1770–1832) was born in Rockingham County, VA. Family lore has it that after the death of his older brother Jacob, young Christian decided to take up his mantle and fight for the patriot cause. In 1782, Null enlisted in Captain David McQueen's Lancaster County militia company. This earned him Land Bounty Rights, although his commander, Colonel Henry Ludington, paid cash for his plot of bounty land. After the war he married and fathered twelve children. In 1798, he built a log cabin near Springboro, OH, that still stands today. After he passed away, Christian was interred in Eyer Cemetery in Warren County, OH before being moved to Dayton National Cemetery on March 29, 1989. He now rests in Section E, Row 1, Site 5.

Governors of the National Home Marsena Rudoph Patrick, Major General, U.S.

Army, served during the Florida War, Mexican War, and Civil War. Fourth Governor of the National Home, Central Branch, from September 23, 1880 to July 27, 1888. (Civilian Section, Row 2, Site 1)

Jerome Beers Thomas, Colonel, U.S.

Army, served during the Civil War. Fifth Governor of the National Home, Central Branch, from November 17, 1888 to March 5, 1907. (Civilian Section, Row 2, Site 2)

Directions

Dayton National Cemetery is located in the far western edge of the city of Dayton.

From Dayton International Airport and West: Take Interstate 70 East to Interstate 75 South to U.S. Route 35 West. Exit US 35 at Gettysburg Avenue. Turn right on Gettysburg and travel to the first stop light. Turn left on Third Street. Go to the 2nd traffic light and turn left into the cemetery.

Flowers and grounds rules

Natural, fresh-cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year and will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations. Plastic floral cones are available for use and are located in containers throughout the cemetery.

Artificial flowers are permitted on graves only from October 10 through April 15. Christmas wreaths, grave blankets and other seasonal adornments may be placed on graves from December 1 through January 20.

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 Dayton National Cemetery.

A National Cemetery System Dayton National Cemetery

Who can be buried at Dayton 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 Dayton National Cemetery?

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Dayton National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Dayton National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Dayton 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 Dayton National Cemetery directly at 937-268-2221.

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 Ohio law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Ohio 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 Dayton National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

Funeral homes near Dayton 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.

  1. 0.3 mi from the cemetery
  2. 0.4 mi from the cemetery
  3. 1.6 mi from the cemetery
  4. House of Wheat
    Dayton, OH
    2.2 mi from the cemetery
  5. Glickler Funeral Home & Cremation Service
    Dayton, OHMilitary honors services
    2.7 mi from the cemetery
  6. 3.0 mi from the cemetery

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