Willamette National Cemetery

Infobox Military Memorial
name=Willamette National Cemetery
body=United States


caption=
commemorates=Veterans of the Armed Forces
use_dates=
coordinates=
nearest_town= Portland, Oregon
designer=
inscription=
established=1949
unveiled=1951
total= 126,561
unknowns=
commemorated=
by_country= United States
by_war=
source=

Willamette National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in Clackamas County, Oregon, about convert|10|mi|km southeast of the city of Portland, Oregon. It encompasses convert|269.4|acre|km2, and as of the end of 2005, had 126,561 interments.

History

Plans to create a military cemetery in the Portland area started as early as 1941, and Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill to establish a national cemetery, but the necessary money to acquire the land was never allocated. Finally, in 1949 the state of Oregon donated convert|102|acre|km2 of land for the establishment of a National Cemetery. Construction was completed in 1950, and Willamette National Cemetery was officially opened on December 14 of that year. The first interment did not take place until 1951. In 1952, another convert|100|acre|km2 of land was donated to the cemetery.

Willamette National Cemetery is a Blue Star Memorial Highway site.

Notable monuments

*A Korean War Memorial, dedicated to the 283 people from Oregon who fought and died in that war.

Notable interments

*Lieutenant Colonel Stanley T. Adams, Medal of Honor recipient for action in the Korean War.
*Alexander G. Barry, (1892-1952) United States Senator.
*Carson Bigbee, (1895-1964) Major League Baseball player.
*First Lieutenant Arnold L. Bjorklund, Medal of Honor recipient for action in World War II.
*Specialist 4th Class Larry G. Dahl, Medal of Honor recipient for action in the Vietnam War.
*Sergeant 1st Class Loren R. Kaufman, Medal of Honor recipient for action in the Korean War.
*Scott Leavitt, (1879-1966) U.S. Representative from Montana.
*Thomas E. Martin, (1893-1971) U.S. Representative and Senator from Iowa.

See also

*United States Department of Veterans Affairs
*United States National Cemetery

External links

* [http://www.cem.va.gov/ National Cemetery Administration]
* [http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/willamette.asp Willamette National Cemetery]