History of VA in 100 Objects
Object 55: Dorothea Dix’s Monument to Union Soldiers
On May 12, 1868, Dorothea L. Dix at last had the satisfaction of transferring to the Army ownership of the monument she helped finance and shepherd to completion. Dedicated to “Union Soldiers who perished in the War of the Rebellion,” Dorothea Dix's monument was a 65-foot-tall granite obelisk erected in Hampton National Cemetery in Virginia near the large Civil War hospital at Fort Monroe.
History of VA in 100 Objects
Object 48: Floor Plan of VA’s Historic Indoor Columbarium
In June 1941, Charles Ray Smith—aviation mechanic, Army Veteran, and past commander of the American Legion post in Gridley, California—died suddenly after a surgical procedure at age 52. His brothers and young son had the body cremated at the new columbarium at what is now Los Angeles National Cemetery.
History of VA in 100 Objects
Object 45: National Cemetery Superintendent’s Disability Certificate
The 1867 “Act to establish and to protect National Cemeteries” directed the Secretary of War to appoint a superintendent for each cemetery who was to reside in a lodge at the main entrance of the property. The superintendent’s principal duties involved greeting visitors, answering their questions, and taking care of the grounds. The Army provided superintendents with printed disability certificates affirming that the recipient had “been found a meritorious and trustworthy person, disabled in the service of the United States.”
History of VA in 100 Objects
Object 40: Dayton’s Tunnel – “Underground Path of Death”
The Civil War Veterans who resided in the barracks or entered the hospital at the Central Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (NHDVS) in Dayton, Ohio, knew that the home cemetery was most likely going to be their final resting place. a Veteran’s last journey, reported the Cincinnati Enquirer, followed a literal “underground path of death." Dayton's Tunnel terminated at a gated portal on the edge of what is now Dayton National Cemetery.
History of VA in 100 Objects
Object 36: President Clinton’s Fiftieth Anniversary of V-J Day Speech at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
The scarcity of presidential appearances at VA cemeteries makes President Clinton’s speech at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, more popularly known as the Punchbowl, on September 2, 1995, particularly noteworthy.
History of VA in 100 Objects
Object 34: President Zachary Taylor’s Well-Traveled Remains
Three burial vaults, two funeral processions a thousand miles apart, and a daytrip to quash an assertion of foul play–the remains of Zachary Taylor, the only U.S. president laid to rest in a VA national cemetery, have taken an especially tortuous path to their resting place in Louisville, Kentucky.
Featured Stories
Patriotic postcards sent with Memorial Day greetings
Sending Memorial Day greetings! Over a century ago, the craze for penny postcards with a pretty picture introduced a fast, affordable means to communicate. Like Instagram. Decoration or Memorial Day was a very popular and patriotic greeting theme—depicted with flags, flowers, and veterans. Explore deltiology through a sampling of holiday postcards from the NCA History Collection.
History of VA in 100 Objects
Object 24: Calverton Casket Flag
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 transformed ordinary life for most Americans. Within VA, the National Cemetery Administration made the difficult decision to suspend funeral services to protect visitors and staff. Calverton National Cemetery in New York—an early pandemic epicenter—held a special service. On July 8, 2021, the cemetery presented a casket flag during a single solemn ceremony in which 849 Veterans belatedly received military honors.
History of VA in 100 Objects
Object 20: The Washington Arsenal Monument
The National Cemetery Administration serves as the steward for government and military lots at select private cemeteries nationwide. The Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C., is home to the Washington Arsenal Monument, which honors the women who died in an explosion at the arsenal during the Civil War.