National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona

Coordinates: 33°41′44″N 112°01′36″W / 33.695619°N 112.026622°W / 33.695619; -112.026622 National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Phoenix in Maricopa County, Arizona. It encompasses 225 acres (0.91 km²), and as of the end of 2005, had 43,672 interments.

History

A state law passed in 1976, by then Governor Raul Hector Castro, authorized the creation of a large veteran's cemetery. The location in Phoenix was chosen and the cemetery was dedicated on December 9, 1978. The first interment took place the following spring. It was officially transferred to the control of the Department of Veterans Affairs and became a National Cemetery in 1989. In 1999, over 13 million dollars was spent on improving the facilities and developing the area with the intent of serving the burial needs of veterans until the year 2030.

Notable monuments

• Eternal Flame monument (shaped like a pyramid)^[1]
• World War II Submarine Torpedo monument)^[1]
• The Vietnam Veterans Memorial [Field Cross Memorial]

Notable interments

• Thomas Bonner, president of Union College and Wayne State University, author.
• Nathan E. Cook, the last surviving veteran of the Spanish-American War, died at the age of 106.^[2]
• Doyle "Porky" Lade, major league baseball player, for the Chicago Cubs.
• Evan Mecham, former governor of Arizona

See also

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

Footnotes

1. ^ ^{a b} National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona (scroll down to "Monuments and Memorials"). United States Department of Veterans Affairs website. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
2. ^ National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona (scroll down to "Notable Persons"). United States Department of Veterans Affairs website. Retrieved 2010-07-12.

External links

• National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. United States Department of Veterans Affairs website. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
• National Cemetery Administration