Fayetteville National Cemetery

Fayetteville National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 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 Fayetteville National Cemetery

Fayetteville National Cemetery is located on the south side of Fayetteville, AR, about one mile southwest of the old courthouse. Although Frank Pierce, a hunter and trapper, first visited what became the Fayetteville area in 1819, the town was not officially settled until 1828. Within a year, however, residents had built a courthouse and a post office and by 1835 it was officially designated a town. Subsequently, Fayetteville was surveyed, divided into lots and sold at public auction and by 1841, had a population of around four hundred people.

By the beginning of the Civil War, Fayetteville had become a prosperous community. One Union soldier described it as "a beautiful little hamlet nestling among the foothills of the Ozark range...the chief education center of the state, the home of culture, refinement and that inborn hospitality so characteristic of the South." On April 18,1863, this tranquility was interrupted by the fierce Battle of Fayetteville. Hoping to reverse the South's waning fortunes, Confederate General William Cabell led 900 cavalry north from Ozark to attack federal forces occupying Fayetteville. The initial strike surprised most of the Union soldiers, some of who were enjoying a dance at a private home several miles outside of town, and others who were asleep. The federal forces were able to quickly recover and, primarily due to superior weapons, pushed back the Confederate charge.

In 1867, the first five acres for the national cemetery were purchased from local residents David Walker and Stephen K. Stone. The original layout of the cemetery, according to a sketch, is of an outer circle surrounding a six-pointed star with diamonds between the points of the star and a flagpole in the center. There were eighteen sections with an estimated capacity of 1,800 graves. During World War II, the layout was revised and five sections were added.

The first burials were the remains of Union soldiers disinterred from local Civil War battlefields such as Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove and Elk Horn Tavern. Interments were originally made with the headstone and inscription facing the flagpole. An inspection report dated May 1871 states there were 1,210 interments in the cemetery, "the greater portion being unknown white soldiers." When the new sections were added in the mid-20th century cemetery, the placement of headstones was altered so that the inscriptions face the interred remains.

In 1989, the Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation, a group of citizens, veterans, and officials of the city of Fayetteville and the state of Arkansas, formed to raise funds to purchase land for the expansion of the cemetery. On January 26, 1990, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs accepted their donation of three acres of land adjacent to the cemetery.

Fayetteville National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 28, 1999 and later added to the Civil War Discovery Trail.

Monuments and Memorials A carillon was donated by the American Veterans as part of their international living-memorial program, which began shortly after World War II.

The Revolutionary War Soldier Memorial and 1st Marine Division memorials were installed during the 1990s.

A Purple Heart Memorial was dedicated in 2000 in honor of all Purple Heart recipients interred at the cemetery.

Notable interments

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note buried at Fayetteville National Cemetery, with section and site where recorded.

Directions

From the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport take Highway 264 East to Highway 540/49. Go south approximately 18 miles to Exit 62, Farmington-University of Arkansas. Go east on Highway 62 approximately 1 1/2 miles to S. Lt. Col. Leroy Pond Avenue. Turn right on S. Lt. Col. Leroy Pond Avenue and follow to the 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. 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 Fayetteville National Cemetery.

A National Cemetery System Fayetteville National Cemetery

Who can be buried at Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Fayetteville National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville National Cemetery directly at 479-442-2566.

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

• Fort Smith National Cemetery, Fort Smith, AR: 48 mi, open for burials
• Fort Gibson National Cemetery, Fort Gibson, OK: 62 mi, open for burials
• Baxter Springs City Soldiers' Lot, Baxter Springs, KS: 75 mi, closed to new in-ground burials