- Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is situated in city of San Diego on the
Fort Rosecrans Military Reservation . The cemetery is located approximately 10 miles west of downtown San Diego, overlooking the bay and the city. Fort Rosecrans is named afterWilliam Starke Rosecrans , a Union general in theAmerican Civil War .Many Fort Rosecrans interments date to the early years of the
California Republic , including the remains of the casualties of theBattle of San Pasqual . Shortly after theUnited States declared war onMexico in May 1846, BrigadierStephen W. Kearny was tasked with conquering Mexico's northern provinces,New Mexico andCalifornia . While Kearny demonstrated his considerable gift for administrative command with his acquisition of the New Mexican territory, he faced a more difficult task in California. Expecting a show of force from the MexicanCalifornio s, Kearny set out west from New Mexico. Upon reaching California,Kit Carson intercepted him and his men, who informed him the territory had been taken by American settlers in theBear Flag Revolt . Kearny sent 200 of his men back to New Mexico with the news and continued forward with one-third of his force. Unfortunately, the success of the revolt had been exaggerated and, before reaching their destination, Kearny and his men encountered a group of Californios intent on keeping more U.S. troops out of their homeland.In the subsequent Battle of San Pasqual, 19 of Kearny's men and an untold number of Californios lost their lives. Initially, the dead were buried where they fell, but by 1874 the remains had been removed to the
San Diego Military Reservation . Eight years later, the bodies were again reinterred at what is now Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. In 1922, the San Diego chapter of theNative Sons and Daughters of the Golden West had a large boulder brought from the battlefield and placed at the gravesite with a plaque affixed that lists the names of the dead.Another notable monument in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is the
USS Bennington Monument which commemorates the deaths of 62 sailors in a boiler explosion aboard USS "Bennington" (PG-4). The "Bennington", which had just returned from maneuvers in the Pacific, was anchored inSan Diego Harbor . OnJuly 21 ,1905 , the crew was ordered to depart in search for "Wyoming" (BM-10), which had lost a propeller at sea. At approximately 10:30 a.m., an explosion in the boiler room ripped through the ship, killing and wounding the majority of the crew. Two days later the remains of soldiers and sailors were brought to the post cemetery and interred in an area known as "Bennington" Plot.Fort Rosecrans became a National Cemetery on
October 5 ,1934 . The decision to make the post cemetery part of the national system came, in part, due to changes in legislation that greatly increased the number of persons eligible for burial in a national cemetery. Grave space inSan Francisco National Cemetery then grew increasingly limited. In addition, southern California was experiencing a phenomenal population growth during this period, and there was a definitive need for more burial sites.The recent addition of concrete walls for cremated remains at Fort Rosecrans in place of old chainlink fencing has allowed thousands of WWII veterans to be interred there who otherwise would not have been able to since the cemetery was closed for new burials.
Monuments and Memorials
* The granite and bronze USS "Wasp" memorial commemorates the loss of fellow shipmates during
Battle of Guadalcanal onSeptember 15 ,1942 .* The San Diego chapter of the
Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West installed the San Pasqual monument in 1922 to honor those soldiers who lost their lives in the 1846Battle of San Pasqual during theMexican-American War . The monument is composed of a stone boulder with a bronze plaque mounted on it.* The
USS Bennington Monument is a tall granite obelisk dedicated to the men who lost their lives on that ship in San Diego Harbor onJuly 21 ,1905 . The monument was dedicated onJanuary 7 ,1908 .* The USS "Ommaney Bay" monument is an etched granite memorial to the men lost in action when the ship was bombed in January 1945.
* A monument dedicated to the
Mormon Battalion was erected in 1998.* The Patriots of America memorial was dedicated in 1999 by the
California State Society of the Founders and Patriots of America to honor all Americans who answered the call to arms.* The 3rd Infantry Division monument was dedicated on
February 16 ,2002 . The granite memorial is dedicated to their fallen comrades.Battle off Samar
Several monuments have been erected in memory of the sailors lost in the
Battle off Samar ,October 25 1944 , a part of theBattle of Leyte Gulf (Philippines ), and in subsequent battles of the Pacific:* The USS "St. Lo", and Composite Squadron
VC-65 was erected in 1994.* The USS "Hoel", "Johnston", and "Samuel B. Roberts" monument is a large granite memorial dedicated in 1995.
* The granite
Taffy 3 monument was dedicated onOctober 24 ,1996 .* The granite USS "Gambier Bay" monument was dedicated on
October 25 ,1996 . Family members and survivors donated the monument.Notable burials
Medal of Honor recipients
(Dates are of the actions for which they were awarded the
Medal of Honor .)
*Quartermaster Second ClassCharles Francis Bishop (Mexican-American War ), Seizure of Vera Cruz,U.S. Navy . USS "Florida" (BB-30),Mexico ,April 21 ,1914 (Section O, Grave 4562).*Commander
Willis W. Bradley (World War I ),U.S. Navy . USS "Pittsburgh" (CA-4) (Section O, Grave 2925).*Major
Mason Carter (Indian War Campaign), 5th U.S. Infantry. Bear Paw Mountains, Mont.,September 30 ,1877 (Section PS-4, Grave 102).*Staff Sergeant
Peter S. Connor (Vietnam Conflict),U.S. Marine Corps , Company F, 2nd Battalion .Quang Ngai Province ,Republic of Vietnam ,February 25 ,1966 (Section A-E, Grave 1005).*Boatswain's Mate
William S. Cronan ,U.S. Navy . USS "Bennington" (PG-4), San Diego, Calif.,July 21 ,1905 (Section T, Grave 534).*Lieutenant Junior Grade
Albert L. David (World War II ),U.S. Navy . USS "Pillsbury" (DE–133)French West Africa ,June 4 ,1944 (Section OS, Grave 125-A).*Corporal
James L. Day (World War II),U.S. Marine Corps .Ryukyu Islands ,Okinawa ,May 14 –17, 1945 (Section P, Grave 1748).*Captain
Jesse Farley Dyer (Mexican Campaign), U.S. Marine Corps. Vera Cruz,April 21 ,1914 (Section P, Grave 1606).*Vice Admiral
Middleton S. Elliott (Mexican-American War),U.S. Navy . Vera Cruz,April 21 –22, 1914 (Section P, Grave 2828).*Captain
Michael John Estocin (Vietnam Conflict), U.S. Navy.Haiphong ,North Vietnam ,April 20 & 26, 1967 (Section MA, Grave 112).*Lieutenant Junior Grade
Donald A. Gary (World War II), U.S. Navy. USS "Franklin" (CV-13) off Japanese Home Islands nearKobe ,Japan ,March 19 ,1945 (Section A-1, Grave 3-B).*Seaman
Ora Graves (World War I), U.S. Navy. USS "Pittsburgh",July 23 ,1917 (Section W, Grave 1208).*Second Lieutenant
Herman H. Hanneken (Occupation of Haiti), U.S. Marine Corps. Grande Riviere, Republic of Haiti,October 21 &November 1 ,1919 (Section C, Grave 166-D).*Gunnery Sergeant
Jimmie Earl Howard (Vietnam), U.S. Marine Corps, Company C, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion . Republic of Vietnam,June 16 ,1966 (Section O, Grave 3759).*Sergeant
Ross L. Iams (Haitian Campaign), U.S. Marine Corps. USS "Connecticut" (BB-18),Fort Riviere , Republic of Haiti,November 17 ,1915 (Section P, Grave 2930).*Ensign
Herbert Charpoit Jones (World War II), U.S. Navy. USS "California" (BB-44),December 7 ,1941 (Section G, Grave 76).*Coxswain
John Edward Murphy (Spanish American War ), U.S. Navy. Santiago,Cuba , June 1898 (Section OS, Grave 363).*Sergeant
James Irsley Poynter (Korean War ), U.S. Marine Corps.Sudong ,Korea , Hill 532,November 4 ,1950 (Section O, Grave 729).*Sergeant
Anund C. Roark (Vietnam War), U.S. Army.Kontum Province , Vietnam,May 16 ,1968 (Section O, Grave 1855).*Sergeant
Henry Frank Schroeder (Spanish American War), U.S. Army, Company L, 16th U.S. Infantry.Carig , Philippine Islands,September 14 ,1900 (Section S, Grave 854).*Lieutenant Commander Robert Semple (Mexican-American War), U.S. Navy. Vera Cruz,
April 21 ,1914 (Section OS-A, Grave 192).*Lieutenant
William Zuiderveld (Mexican-American War), U.S. Navy. Vera Cruz,April 21 , 1914 (Section A-1, Grave 9-B).*Master at Arms
Michael A. Monsoor , (Iraq War ), U.S. NavySEAL .Ramadi ,Iraq ,September 29 ,2006 (Section U, Grave 412-E).Other Burials
*
Richard Garrick , film director and actor. He served in army duringPhilippine-American War .*Major
Reuben H. Fleet ,World War I aviator , interred in the cemetery. TheReuben H. Fleet Space Theater and Science Center inSan Diego was named after Major Fleet.*
Laurence Stallings was ascreenwriter with over two dozen writing credits, including "What Price Glory ".*General
Holland Smith ,U.S. Marine Corps , commanded the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) in the Pacific duringWorld War II and led the "island hopping" campaign in the central Pacific.*Commander
Lloyd M. Bucher ,United States Navy (September 1, 1927 – January 28, 2004), Captain of theUSS Pueblo (AGER-2) , which was captured on January 23, 1968 by the North Koreans.External links
* [http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/ftrosecrans.asp Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery]
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