Fort Snelling National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Fort Snelling National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery
located in the city of Minneapolis
in Hennepin County, Minnesota
. It encompasses 436.3 acres (1.8 km²), and as of April 24, 2007 had 172,001 interments.
was a frontier fort first established in 1819. Its original purpose was to keep the peace on what was then the western frontier. During the American Civil War
it served as a recruiting camp area for Minnesota
volunteers. The cemetery was officially established in 1870.
In 1937, the citizens of St. Paul, petitioned Congress to construct a National Cemetery in the area. Two years later, the new plot was dedicated, and the burials from the original post cemetery were moved to it. In 1960, the Fort Snelling Air Force Station transferred 146 acre (0.59084156 km²) to the cemetery; another 177 acre (0.71629422 km²) were acquired in 1961, expanding the cemetery to its current size.
United States National Cemetery
"United States National Cemetery" is a designation for 146 nationally important cemeteries in the United States. A National Cemetery is generally a military cemetery containing the graves of U.S. military personnel, veterans and their spouses but not exclusively so...
located in the city of Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
in Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hennepin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. As of 2010 the population was 1,152,425. Its county seat is Minneapolis. It is by far the most populous county in Minnesota; more than one in five Minnesotans live...
. It encompasses 436.3 acres (1.8 km²), and as of April 24, 2007 had 172,001 interments.
History
Fort SnellingFort Snelling, Minnesota
Fort Snelling, originally known as Fort Saint Anthony, was a military fortification located at the confluence of the Minnesota River and Mississippi River in Hennepin County, Minnesota...
was a frontier fort first established in 1819. Its original purpose was to keep the peace on what was then the western frontier. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
it served as a recruiting camp area for Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
volunteers. The cemetery was officially established in 1870.
In 1937, the citizens of St. Paul, petitioned Congress to construct a National Cemetery in the area. Two years later, the new plot was dedicated, and the burials from the original post cemetery were moved to it. In 1960, the Fort Snelling Air Force Station transferred 146 acre (0.59084156 km²) to the cemetery; another 177 acre (0.71629422 km²) were acquired in 1961, expanding the cemetery to its current size.
Notable interments
- Thomas Edward Burnett, JrTom BurnettThomas Edward Burnett, Jr. was the vice-president and chief operating officer of Thoratec Corporation, a medical devices company based in Pleasanton, California. He resided in San Ramon, California....
, United Airlines Flight 93United Airlines Flight 93United Airlines Flight 93 was United Airlines' scheduled morning transcontinental flight across the United States from Newark International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco International Airport in California. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the Boeing 757–222 aircraft operating the...
passenger. - Bob CaseyBob Casey (baseball announcer)Bob Casey was the only public address announcer in Minnesota Twins history until 2005. He started announcing Twins games when the franchise moved to Minnesota from Washington, D.C., in 1961....
, baseball announcer. - Captain Richard E. FlemingRichard E. FlemingCaptain Richard E. Fleming was a United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor for his heroism in World War II during the Battle of Midway. Fleming piloted a Vought SB2U Vindicator dive bomber in an attack on the ....
, USMC, Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient for action at MidwayBattle of MidwayThe Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. (Memorial grave site only, buried on Midway Island in the Pacific Ocean.) - Frank Eugene HookFrank Eugene HookFrank Eugene Hook was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Hook was born in L'Anse, Michigan and graduated from L'Anse High School in 1912. He attended the College of Law of the University of Detroit and graduated from the law department of Valparaiso University in 1918...
, US Congressman, World War I veteran. - Private First Class Richard E. KrausRichard E. KrausPrivate First Class Richard Edward Kraus was a United States Marine killed in action during the World War II campaign on Peleliu Island on October 3, 1944. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor, the highest military tribute awarded in the United States.-Biography:Richard E...
, USMC, Medal of Honor recipient for action at PeleliuPeleliuPeleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
in World War II. - Private First Class James D. LaBelle, USMC, Medal of Honor recipient for action at the Battle of Iwo JimaBattle of Iwo JimaThe Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
during World War II. - Dr. C. Walton LilleheiC. Walton LilleheiClarence Walton Lillehei , was an American surgeon who pioneered open-heart surgery, as well as numerous techniques, equipment and prostheses for cardiothoracic surgery.-Background:...
, known as "Father of modern day Open-Heart Surgery." - Ernest LundeenErnest LundeenErnest Lundeen was an American lawyer and politician.Lundeen was born and raised on his father's homestead in Brooklyn Township of Lincoln County near Beresford, South Dakota. His father, C. H...
, US Congressman. - John MariucciJohn MariucciJohn Mariucci was an American ice hockey player, administrator and coach. Mariucci was born in Eveleth, Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota where he played for both the hockey and football teams. He was named an All-American in hockey in 1940...
, hockey coach, member of the United States Hockey Hall of FameUnited States Hockey Hall of FameThe United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
. - Captain Arlo Olson, US Army, Medal of Honor recipient for action in Italy during World War II.
- Staff Sergeant Robert J. PrudenRobert J. PrudenRobert Joseph Pruden was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...
, U.S. Army, Medal of Honor recipient for action in the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. - Bruce P. SmithBruce Smith (Heisman)Bruce P. Smith , nicknamed "Boo", was an American football player best known for winning the Heisman Trophy in 1941....
, 1941 football player, Heisman TrophyHeisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner. - First Lieutenant Richard Keith SorensonRichard K. SorensonRichard Keith Sorenson was a United States Marine who, as a private, received the Medal of Honor during World War II for his heroism during the Marine landing on Kwajalein Atoll on the night of February 1,-February 2, 1944. He threw himself on an exploding Japanese grenade to save the lives of...
, USMC, Medal of Honor recipient for action on KwajaleinKwajaleinKwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
during World War II. - Corporal Charles W. LindbergCharles W. LindbergCharles W. "Chuck" Lindberg was a United States Marine who was part of the first raising of the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II...
, last surviving member of the Marines who flag raised the flag on Iwo JimaIwo JimaIwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
during World War II. - Major Tim VakocTim VakocHenry Timothy "Tim" Vakoc was a Roman Catholic priest and a United States Army chaplain during the Iraq War, attaining the rank of major. Vakoc was the first U.S. military chaplain to die from wounds received in the Iraq War...
, US Army Chaplain mortally wounded in MosulMosulMosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
during the Iraq War.
See also
- United States Department of Veterans AffairsUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsThe United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
- United States National CemeteryUnited States National Cemetery"United States National Cemetery" is a designation for 146 nationally important cemeteries in the United States. A National Cemetery is generally a military cemetery containing the graves of U.S. military personnel, veterans and their spouses but not exclusively so...