A tugboat tows the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Midway towards San Diego Bay past Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is situated in San Diego County on the Fort Rosecrans Military Reservation, the cemetery is located approximately 10 miles west of San Diego, overlooking the bay and the city. The third USS Midway (CVB-41), later CVA-41 and CV-41, was an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, the lead ship of her class, and the first to be commissioned after the end of World War II. Active in the Vietnam War, as of 2004 she is... San Diego Bay is a natural harbor adjacent to San Diego, California. ... San Diego County is a county located on the Pacific Ocean in the far southwest of California, along the border with Mexico. ...

Many Fort Rosecrans interments date to the early years of the California Republic, including the remains of the casualties of the Battle of San Pasqual. Shortly after the United States declared war on Mexico in May 1846, Brigadier Stephen W. Kearny was tasked with conquering Mexico's northern provinces, New Mexico and California. 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 Mexican Californios, 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 the Bear 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. The first Bear Flag. ... The Battle of San Pascual was a military encounter that occurred during the Mexican_American War in what is now San Diego County, California, on the 6 and 7 December 1846. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Stephen Watts Kearny (August 30, 1794–October 31, 1848) was a United States Army officer, noted for action in the southwest during the Mexican American War, in particular in the conquest of California. ... State nickname: Land of Enchantment Other U.S. States Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Governor Bill Richardson Official languages English and Spanish Area 315,194 km² (5th)  - Land 314,590 km²  - Water 607 km² (0. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... A Californio was a Spanish-speaking inhabitant of Alta California who lived there when it was a part of Mexico, before it was taken by the United States after the Mexican-American War. ... Kit Carson Kit Carson (December 24, 1809–May 23, 1868), born Christopher Houston Carson, was an American frontiersman. ... The first Bear Flag. ...

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 the Native 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. 1874 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Another notable monument in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery 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 in San Diego Harbor. On July 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. The first USS Bennington (PG-4), also known as Gunboat No. ... July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 1905 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... USS Wyoming (BM-10) was the second ship of the United States Navy to bear that name but the first to bear it in honor of the 44th state. ...

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 in San 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. October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Monuments and Memorials

• The granite and bronze USS Wasp memorial commemorates the loss of fellow shipmates during Battle of Guadalcanal on September 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 1846 Battle of San Pascual during the Mexican-American War. The monument is comprised 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 on July 21, 1905. The monument was dedicated on January 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.

The eighth USS Wasp (CV-7) was a United States Navy aircraft carrier. ... The Battle of Guadalcanal was one of the most important battles of World War II. The assault on the Japanese-occupied island of Guadalcanal by the Allied navies and 16,000 United States troops on 7 August 1942, was the first offensive by US land forces in the Pacific Campaign. ... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Battle of San Pascual was a military encounter that occurred during the Mexican_American War in what is now San Diego County, California, on the 6 and 7 December 1846. ... The Mexican-American War was a war fought between the United States and Mexico between 1846 and 1848. ... July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 1905 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... January 7 is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... USS Ommaney Bay (CVE–79), formerly MC hull 1116, was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract 6 October 1943 by Kaiser Company, Inc. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Mormon battalion was a force of 500 U.S. Army soldiers that marched from Council Bluffs, Iowa to San Diego, California, from July, 1846 to January, 1847. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized). ... February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 the Battle of Leyte Gulf (Philippines), and in subsequent battles of the Pacific: Battle of Leyte Gulf Conflict World War II, Pacific Campaign Date 23 October 1944 – 26 October 1944 Place The Philippines Result Decisive Allied victory The Battle of Leyte Gulf was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, fought in the seas around the island of Leyte... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Battle of Leyte Gulf was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, fought in the seas around the island of Leyte in the Philippines from 23 October to 26 October 1944. ...

• 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 on October 24, 1996.

• The granite USS Gambier Bay monument was dedicated on October 25, 1996. Family members and survivors donated the monument.

USS (CVE‑63) was laid down as Chapin Bay 23 January 1943; renamed Midway 3 April 1943; launched 17 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. ... USS Hoel (DD-533) was a World War II-era Fletcher-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy, named after Lieutenant Commander William R. Hoel. ... USS Johnston (DD-557) was a World War II-era Fletcher-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy, named after Lieutenant John Vincent Johnston. ... USS (DE-413) was a World War II-era -class destroyer escort in the service of the United States Navy, named after Coxswain Samuel B. Roberts. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73) was a U.S. aircraft carrier. ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

Notable burials

Medal of Honor recipients

(Dates are of the actions for which they were awarded the Medal of Honor.) This article is about the military award; for the computer game, see Medal of Honor (computer game). ...

• Quartermaster Second Class Charles Francis Bishop (Mexican Campaign), 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 Mountain, 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 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 near Kobe, 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 Howard Hanneken (World War I), U.S. Marine Corps. Grande Rivera, 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 War), U.S. Navy. Vera Cruz, April 21, 1914 (Section OS-A, Grave 192).

• Lieutenant William Zuiderveld (Mexican War), U.S. Navy. Vera Cruz, April 21, 1914 (Section A-1, Grave 9-B).

The Mexican-American War was a war fought between the United States and Mexico between 1846 and 1848. ... Veracruz is the name of both a state in Mexico and that states largest city. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The fifth United States Navy ship Florida (BB-30) was a Florida class battleship, the lead ship of her class of two (USS Utah (BB-31) being the other). ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The second USS Pennsylvania (ACR-4), also referred to Armored Cruiser No. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 92 days remaining, as the final day of September. ... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Vietnam War was a war fought between 1957 and 1975 on the ground in South Vietnam and bordering areas of Cambodia and Laos (See Secret War) and in bombing runs (Rolling Thunder) over North Vietnam. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... Quang Ngai (in Vietnamese Quảng Ngãi) is a province of central Vietnam. ... National motto: ??? Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809km² N/A population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The first USS Bennington (PG-4), also known as Gunboat No. ... July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 1905 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (over 11 miles) into the air, August 9, 1945 after the Allied atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... French West Africa (Afrique occidentale française, or AOF) was a federation of eight French territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), Guinea, Côte dIvoire, Niger, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and Dahomey (now Benin). ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... The Ryukyu Islands (琉球列島 Ryūkyū-rettō), also known as the Nansei-shoto (南西諸島 Nansei-shotō, which translates literally as the Southwest Islands), are an island chain stretching southwestward from the island of Kyushu in Japan. ... This article is about the prefecture. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... Haiphong (Vietnamese: Hải Phòng, Chinese 海防) is the third most populous city in Vietnam. ... The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN) (Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cá»™ng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was founded by Ho Chi Minh and was recognized by China and the USSR in 1950. ... April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The fifth USS Franklin (CV-13) (also CVA-13, CVS-13, and AVT-8), nicknamed Big Ben, was an Essex-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, notable as the hardest-hit carrier to survive World War II. Launch and Commissioning; Initial Cruise She was launched by Newport News... Port Tower at night Kōbe (Japanese: 神戸市; -shi) is a city in Japan, located on the island of Honshu. ... March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... July 23 is the 204th day (205th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 161 days remaining. ... 1917 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... June 16 is the 167th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (168th in leap years), with 198 days remaining. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... The fourth Connecticut (BB-18), the lead ship of her class of battleship was launched 29 September 1904 by the New York Navy Yard sponsored by Miss A. Welles, granddaughter of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy during the American Civil War, and commissioned 29 September 1906 with Captain W... November 17 is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece. ... 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... USS California (BB-44), a Tennessee-class battleship, was the fifth ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 31st state. ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Spanish-American War took place in 1898, and resulted in the United States of America gaining control over the former colonies of Spain in the Caribbean and Pacific. ... Santiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in eastern Cuba. ... 1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Korean War (Korean: 한국전쟁/韓國戰爭), from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, was a conflict between North Korea and South Korea. ... For other places called Korea, see: Korea (disambiguation) Korea (한국/韓國) is a formerly unified country, situated on the Korean Peninsula in northern East Asia, bordering on China to the northwest and Russia to the north. ... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 57 days remaining. ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (137th in leap years). ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... September 14 is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years). ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... There have been two prominent people by the name of Robert Semple. ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ...

Other Burials

• Richard Garrick, film director and actor. He served in army during Philippine-American War.

• Major Reuben H. Fleet, World War I aviator, interred in the cemetery. The Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater and Science Center in San Diego was named after Major Fleet.

• Laurence Stallings was a screenwriter 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 during World War II and led the "island hopping" campaign in the central Pacific.

Richard Garrick (December 27, 1878 - August 21, 1962) was a director and actor. ... The Philippine-American War was a war between the armed forces of the United States and the Philippines from 1899 through 1913. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Aviators are people who fly aircraft either for pleasure or for a job. ... San Diego County in the Southwest corner of California. ... Screenwriters, scenarists or script writers, are authors who write the screenplays from which movies are made. ... Holland Smith Holland McTyeire Howlin Mad Smith (April 20, 1882 - January 12, 1967) was a general in the US Marine Corps during World War II. He is sometimes called the father of modern U.S. amphibious warfare. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (over 11 miles) into the air, August 9, 1945 after the Allied atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. ...

External link

• Department of Veteran Affairs National Cemetery Administration