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VA National Cemetery

Fort McPherson National Cemetery

12004 South Spur 56A · Maxwell, NE 69151

Open for burial

Fort McPherson National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Maxwell, Nebraska. 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 McPherson National Cemetery

Built in 1863, Fort McPherson was established to ensure peace along the western frontier between the immigrants traveling along the Oregon Trail and the Native American inhabitants. The troops originally stationed at the post provided military protection from hostile Native Americans during the construction of the railroad.

To meet the burial needs of the soldiers stationed at the post, a cemetery was established early in its history. The old post burial ground was later moved to southwest of the post and some 50 remains were moved to this location.

Establishment of the 20-acre Fort McPherson National Cemetery in 1873 afforded the space to relocate remains from the cemeteries abandoned when the number of settlers decreased. Burial records testify that life on the frontier was full of hardships and dangers similar to battlefield camps during times of war.

The cemetery lodge was built in 1876 and rehabilitated in 1951 and 2000. About one mile southeast of the cemetery a monument marks the site of the flagstaff of the old military post. Another monument marks the route used by the Pony Express over the Oregon Trail, which passes through the cemetery.

The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 5, 2012.

Monuments and Memorials The cemetery has a digital carillon system that was donated by the American Veterans, Inc (AMVETS) Department of Nebraska, in partnership with the AMVETS National Foundation. The carillon rings during the week to mark the time of day and plays selected devotional music on the weekend.

Notable interments

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

Private First Class James W.

Fous (Vietnam). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, Company E, 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, in recognition of gallantry and self-sacrifice in Kien Hoa Province, Republic of Vietnam, May 14, 1968. Fous is buried in Section G, Site 685.

Sergeant George Jordan (Indian Wars).

George Jordan, born about 1850 in Tennessee, enlisted in the U.S. Army in Nashville in 1866. Illiterate at the time, he learned to read and write while in service. Private Jordan transferred to the 9th Cavalry in 1870 and, posted to the Indian Territories, he fought hostile Apache and Sioux tribes. He was promoted to corporal in 1874. In 1890 Sergeant Jordan received the Medal of Honor for holding ground against greater numbers of the enemy in 1880 and 1881. He was the first African American so recognized in two decades. After retiring in April 1897 Jordan remained in Nebraska and, as a landowner, lobbied for the right to vote. In fall 1904 he sought medical attention at the Fort Robinson hospital, but was denied admission; he died that October. Jordan was buried at Fort Robinson and in 1947 his remains were transferred to Fort McPherson National Cemetery, Section F, Site 1131.

Private Daniel H.

Miller (Indian Wars). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company F, 3rd U.S. Cavalry, for actions in the Whetstone Mountains, Arizona Territory, May 5, 1871. Miller died in 1874 and is buried in Section A, Site 380.

Sergeant Emanuel Stance (Indian Wars).

Emanuel Stance was born in Louisiana in 1848 and he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1866. Stance joined Troop F, 9th Cavalry, and spent most of his career on active frontier duty in the Southwest. Sergeant Stance received the Medal of Honor in May 1870 for unquestioned courage. However, he had a volatile personality and drove his men hard. Stance was demoted to private and restored to rank several times. In 1885 Troop F was posted at Fort Robinson, Nebraska. There, Stance was murdered on Christmas Day 1887, likely by his own men. In 1947, his remains were transferred from Fort Robinson to Fort McPherson National Cemetery, Section F, Site 1040.

Other Burials Born of Oglala-Lakota Indian and French decent, Baptiste "Little Bat" Garnier was a scout for the U.S.

Cavalry during the Indian Wars. His reputation grew as he tracked in what many believed to be impossible conditions. His skill earned him the nickname "Chief of Fort Robinson Scouts." Garnier was shot and killed by a saloon keeper on December 16, 1900. In 1947, Garnier's remains were disinterred from Fort Robinson, Nebraska, and buried in Fort McPherson National Cemetery .

Section S, Site 5900

Spotted Horse was a Pawnee Indian Scout for the U.S.

Army in the Northern Plains during the Indian Wars. He was killed by a Brule Sioux on August 14, 1862, and interred at Fort Kearny. In November 1873, Spotted Horse was reinterred at Fort McPherson National Cemetery .

Section C, Site 258

Fort McPherson National Cemetery is the final resting place for 63 Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry.

The soldiers were all buried at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, and were relocated to Fort McPherson National Cemetery in 1947 when Fort Robinson was deactivated.

Fort McPherson National Cemetery has served as the final resting place for American men and women who have served their country at many different times in many wars throughout the years.

In some instances positive identification has been impossible due to the circumstances of the deaths. There are 81 group burials at Fort McPherson National Cemetery, which represent 350 Americans who gave the supreme sacrifice.

In section A, graves 384-389 contain the remains of six members of Company F, 3rd U.S.

Cavalry: Edward Doe, Louis Cohn, Theodore Froendle, Dennis Mahony, Daniel Taylor and William Mars, who were drowned on May 31, 1873 in a flash flood which swept through their campsite on Blackwood Creek in the Republican River Valley.

Directions

The cemetery is located on south spur 56A, four miles south of Maxwell, or two miles south of exit 190 on I-80. The nearest commercial airport is Lee Bird Field, 11 miles west of Maxwell on Highway 30. Access to 56A is gained from Highway 30 through Maxwell or from I-80, exit 190.

Flowers and grounds rules

You can place fresh cut flowers on your loved one's grave throughout the year.

At the time of burial, floral arrangements with the casket or urn will be placed on the completed grave.

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 McPherson National Cemetery.

A National Cemetery System Fort McPherson National Cemetery

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

Where is the Fort McPherson National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Fort McPherson 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 McPherson National Cemetery directly at 308-582-4433.

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

Funeral homes near Fort McPherson 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. 14.5 mi from the cemetery
  2. 14.8 mi from the cemetery
  3. 15.3 mi from the cemetery
  4. 18.3 mi from the cemetery
  5. 20.2 mi from the cemetery
  6. 27.2 mi from the cemetery

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