America’s World War II Burial Program

This cultural resource study is the result of a project by the National Cemetery Administration's History Program to assemble primary historic information about a thematic group of NCA properties: cemeteries and memorials that exclusively or partially contain Confederate burials. While Civil War-era national cemeteries were created to bury Union dead, the U.S. Government was also responsible for Confederate dead, most of whom were associated with prisoner-of-war camps. This publication examines nine all-Confederate cemeteries and nine national cemeteries containing the greatest number of Confederate graves.

This monograph, originally published as part of the National Cemetery Administration's World War II Commemorative Series, tells the story of how and why members of other nations' military forces came to be buried in our national cemeteries during World War II. It includes a discussion on the history of such allied and enemy burials dating back to the Civil War, the circumstances surrounding these burials, and the headstones and monuments that have been erected for the interred.

The Office of Construction and Facilities Management is responsible for the planning, design, construction, and renovation of VA’s physical facilities. With roots in the early twentieth century, it has continually evolved to better serve the needs of the country’s Veteran population.