An independent directory for U.S. veterans and their families. Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

An American Memorial Directory
VeteranFunerals

VA National Cemetery

Fort Bliss National Cemetery

5200 Fred Wilson Avenue · El Paso, TX 79906

Open for burial

Fort Bliss National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in El Paso, Texas. 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 Fort Bliss National Cemetery

Fort Bliss National Cemetery, is located within the Fort Bliss Military Reservation in El Paso County, Texas. It was one of seven national cemeteries created between world wars, 1934–1939, to increase the size of the national cemetery system. It was the first major expansion since the Civil War needed due to a growing veteran population and rapidly depleting burial space at existing national cemeteries. New cemetery locations were based on veterans' places of residence. The other interwar national cemeteries are Baltimore, Maryland; Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Fort Snelling, Minnesota; Fort Rosecrans and Golden Gate, California; and Long Island, New York.

Fort Bliss was established after the Mexican-American War (18464–1848) to protect newly acquired territories. The first garrison arrived at the post on the Rio Grande in late 1849. It was officially named in 1854 to honor Lt. Col. William Wallace Smith Bliss (1815–1853), Chief of Staff to General Zachary Taylor during the war, then son-in-law and personal secretary to him during his presidency. Bliss died of yellow fever on August 5, 1853, while serving as adjutant general of the Army's Western Division. His remains were relocated to the namesake fort in 1955.

The U.S. Army abandoned Fort Bliss during the Civil War and it was occupied by Confederates until they destroyed it following a Union victory at Glorieta Pass, New Mexico Territory, in 1862. The fort was rebuilt and relocated multiple times before its final iteration, five miles east of El Paso, TX, was completed in 1893. It played a minor role in mobilization efforts for the Spanish-American War and Philippine Insurrection (1898–1902). In 1914, it switched from infantry to a cavalry post; Maj. Gen. John J. Pershing was stationed here when tasked with leading an expedition into Mexico to capture Pancho Villa (1916–1917). The fort was a training and demobilization center during World War I (1917–1918), and during World War II (1941–1945) it was the primary training site for anti-aircraft artillery and served as an internment camp for small numbers of enemy prisoners of war. It remains one of the Army's largest and most versatile properties.

Fort Bliss National Cemetery spans roughly 82 acres that was part of the Fort Bliss Military Reservation. The first recorded burials at the fort were in 1863 and the first identified burial was in October 1866. A 2-acre post cemetery was established in 1893 at what is the southeast corner of the larger cemetery, set apart by a stone wall erected in 1914. The need for additional burial space after World War I led Congress to authorize a national cemetery here in June 1936. Construction funds were not appropriated until 1939, after which a stone entrance gate and Spanish Revival-style lodge were completed. The following year the cemetery was improved by the addition of a Neoclassical rostrum made of Texas pink granite and a stone enclosure wall erected by Works Progress Administration laborers. Fort Bliss National Cemetery's first interment was held on March 7, 1940.

New buildings constructed in 2007 mimic the historic regional Spanish Revival architecture. The same year, NCA implemented a dramatic change to the landscape by replacing sod with decomposed granite; this is the first national cemetery transformed to a xeriscape as a conservation measure, consistent with the arid Southwest. This is one of three NCA xeriscape national cemeteries.

Foreign nationals are interred here in addition to U.S. soldiers and civilians. Among the allied burials are 52 Chinese airmen who died in training exercises at the fort in the mid-1940s, a Royal Air Force pilot, and a civilian German scientist. In addition, 48 enemy POWs are interred here.

Fort Bliss is one of more than eighty VA national cemeteries that use upright headstones and flat grave markers in separate burial sections. There are seven private markers in the original post section. The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

Monuments and Memorials On December 7, 1984, the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association dedicated a monument to Coast Guard and Navy personnel who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

The Military Order of the World Wars dedicated a granite monument in 1986 to officers in military service.

The granite American Prisoners of War Monument was installed in 1986 by the American Ex-Prisoners of War of El Paso, Chapter 1.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart dedicated a granite-and-bronze monument to all armed forces personnel on October 22, 2002. The bronze plaque is inscribed with the words to Taps.

The El Paso Del Norte Chapter, Gold Star Wives of America, dedicated a granite-and-bronze monument on August 28, 2010. It is inscribed, "To Honor, In Loving Memory, Our Husbands and Their Service to Our Great Nation."

The Korean War Veterans Association, Col. Joseph C. Rodriguez (MOH), Chapter 249, donated a granite monument that was dedicated by Ko Chang Sun on June 25, 2016.

Notable interments

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

Corporal Frank Bratling (Indian Wars).

Frank Bratling received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, Company C, 8th U.S. Cavalry, in recognition of his actions near Fort Selden, New Mexico Territory, July 8–11, 1873. Bratling is memorialized in Section MA, Site 29.

Master Sergeant Victor Hugo Espinoza Jr.

(Korea). Texan Victor Hugo Espinoza Jr., enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1950 and was a member of the Acting Rifleman Company A, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, until September 23, 1952. On March 14, 2014, Espinoza received the Medal of Honor for singly assaulting enemy forces on August 1, 1952, in Chorwon. Espinoza died April 17, 1986, and is buried in Section F, Site 1115.

Staff Sergeant Ambrosio Guillen (Korea).

Ambrosio Guillen, native of Colorado, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1947. Staff Sergeant Guillen served with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. On July 25, 1953, Guillen's unit was attacked by two enemy battalions. Already wounded, Guillen refused treatment until the enemy retreated. Guillen died of his wounds on July 25, 1953. He received the Medal of Honor August 18, 1954, posthumously, for personal valor near Songuch-on, Korea, and is buried in Section E, Site 9171.

Private George Hooker (Indian Wars).

George Hooker received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, Company K, 5th U.S. Cavalry, in recognition of his actions at Tonto Creek, Arizona Territory, January 22, 1873. Hooker is memorialized in Section MA, Site 30.

Corporal Benito Martinez (Korea).

Texan Benito Martinez enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1951 and served as a machine-gunner with Company A, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. During action near Satae-ri, Korea, Corporal Martinez volunteered to hold the position, and allow comrades to reorganize, attack, and regain key terrain. Martinez was killed in action on September 6, 1952. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously, on December 29, 1953, and is buried in Section B, Site 366A.

Other Burials Fort Bliss Military Reservation and the national cemetery were named after William Wallace Smith Bliss.

Bliss was born in Whitehall, New York, on August 17, 1815. He entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in September 1829 and graduated July 1, 1833. Ranked ninth in a class of forty-three graduates, the 17-year-old was considered a prodigy whose classmates dubbed him "Perfect Bliss." Later, Zachary Taylor's family gave him the same nickname. The scholarly Bliss spoke six languages and could read in thirteen languages. His expansive proficiency ranged from philosophy to poetry to military tactics. His first post, as a second lieutenant in the infantry, was in engagements against the Cherokee Indians (1833–1835) related to their forced removal from the southern United States. From 1834–1840 he taught mathematics at West Point. His service in the field against the Florida Indians (1840–1841) was followed by accompanying General Zachary Taylor to the Grand Council of Indian tribes in Oklahoma. He was then appointed adjutant general of the 16th Military Department until 1845. That August he became chief of staff to General Taylor, and served with him throughout the military occupation of Texas and the Mexican War. He was promoted the rank of brevet major in May 1846 for gallant and meritorious conduct during the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma; similar recognition and the rank of brevet lieutenant colonel occurred in February 1847 for actions at the battle of Buena Vista. From 1842 onwards he was a key staffer to "Old Rough and Ready"; it was said that with Bliss at his elbow, General Taylor could count on trustworthy and honest, competent advice. Bliss married Taylor's youngest daughter, Mary Elizabeth, in December 1848, following Taylor's election to the presidency. Mary Taylor Bliss took on the duties of official hostess at the White House. In July 1850, Colonel Bliss was assigned as adjutant general of the Western Division of the Army in New Orleans. On August 5, 1853, he died at Pascagoula, Mississippi, a victim of yellow fever; he was buried in the Protestant Cemetery on Girod Street in New Orleans. On November 22, 1955, Bliss's remains were interred in this national cemetery with full military honors.

Charlie Bates (1878–1917) was born in Summerville, in northwest Georgia, and enlisted in the U.S.

Army by 1901. Private Bates served in the 25th Infantry and transferred to Company M, 10th Cavalry in 1907, as a cook. Both regiments were segregated. Bates was one of many black enlisted men posted to the western frontier and to border fortifications who became known as Buffalo Soldiers in the late nineteenth century. Bates was in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Texas, and Vermont, the last home to the 10th Cavalry in the early 1900s. Bates died of pneumonia at Fort Bliss, Texas, in February 1917 .

Section PA, Site 3E

Donnie Wah Brown (1910–1995) was born in Texas and he enlisted in the U.S.

Army in 1927. Underage at the time, Private Brown served just over six months with Company A, 10th Cavalry, before an honorable discharge as a minority. Undeterred, Brown reenlisted in the army in 1929 and accompanied his cavalry regiment to Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Brown retired in 1953 with the rank of master sergeant and made his home in El Paso. Brown's military service spanned World War II, Korea, and early racial desegregation of the armed forces. He was the last resident Buffalo Soldier living in the city when he died on June 1. Brown was buried in Fort Bliss National Cemetery , the tenth Buffalo Soldier interred there. His widow established a chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers in his honor in El Paso.

Section O, Site 1878

Virginian Sheldon Colbert (1882–1916) grew up in Wythe County and worked as a day laborer as a young man.

He married and was widowed between 1900 and 1910, and was an iron worker. In 1909, at age 26, Colbert enlisted in the U.S. Army, joining Company M, 10th Cavalry, in Ohio. The next year he was living in the Columbus Barracks with his regiment, followed by Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, where he served in the early 1910s. The 10th Cavalry was one of the segregated regiments established for black soldiers in the nineteenth century, men who became known as Buffalo Soldiers. By 1916 Sergeant Colbert was in El Paso, Texas, where he died January 24. He is buried in Fort Bliss National Cemetery .

Section PA, Site 15F

Directions

The cemetery is located in the central section of El Paso, TX. From El Paso International Airport, travel Airport Road north two miles to Fred Wilson Avenue, and continue west ¾ mile to the cemetery.

Flowers and grounds rules

To ensure all veterans and their family members receive proper dignity and respect, cemetery staff will actively ensure all gravesites and headstones comply with NCA policies and established guidelines.

Authorized: Fresh-cut flowers and artificial flowers; U.S., POW, and military branch service flags are allowed at Fort Bliss National Cemetery. Flowers must be in plastic vases. Plastic vases are provided by the cemetery and are in receptacles throughout the cemetery and should be returned to the receptacles when no longer needed. Please limit to three (3) vases per gravesite. No other containers are allowed.

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 Fort Bliss National Cemetery.

A National Cemetery System Fort Bliss National Cemetery

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

Where is the Fort Bliss National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Fort Bliss 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 Fort Bliss National Cemetery directly at 915-564-0201.

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

Funeral homes near Fort Bliss 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. 2.4 mi from the cemetery
  2. 2.7 mi from the cemetery
  3. 2.9 mi from the cemetery
  4. 3.1 mi from the cemetery
  5. 3.2 mi from the cemetery
  6. 4.0 mi from the cemetery

Search all funeral homes by ZIP on FuneralUS