{{Short description|Historic veterans cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox cemetery | name = Santa Fe National Cemetery | image = Santa Fe National Cemetery.jpg | imagesize = 260 | caption = Santa Fe National Cemetery, 2008 | map_type = | map_size = | map_caption = | established = {{start date|1870}} | country = United States | location = [[Santa Fe, New Mexico]] | coordinates ={{coord|35|41|54|N|105|56|56|W|source:GNIS|display=inline,title}}| | type = [[United States National Cemetery]] | style = | owner =US Department of Veterans Affairs | size = {{convert|84.3|acre|ha}} | graves = | interments = > 68,000 | cremations = | website = [https://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/santafe.asp Official] | findagraveid= 109452 | nrhp = {{Infobox NRHP | embed = yes | name = Santa Fe National Cemetery | nrhp_type = | image = | alt = | caption = | locmapin = New Mexico#USA | map_alt = | map_caption = | coordinates = {{coord|35|41|54|N|105|56|56|W|source:GNIS|display=inline}} | location = 501 N. Guadalupe St., [[Santa Fe, New Mexico]] | built = | architect = | architecture = | added = September 6, 2016 | designated_nrhp_type = | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | refnum = 16000588<ref name="NPS weekly">{{cite web|title=National Register of Historic Places Program: Weekly List|url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/weekly-list-2016-national-register-of-historic-places.pdf|date=September 23, 2016|publisher=[[National Park Service]]|access-date=January 10, 2017}}</ref> | mpsub = }} }}
'''Santa Fe National Cemetery''' is a [[United States National Cemetery System|United States National Cemetery]] in the city of [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]], in [[Santa Fe County, New Mexico]]. It encompasses {{convert|84.3|acre}}, and as of 2021, had 68,000 interments. Administered by the [[United States Department of Veterans Affairs]], it is one of two national cemeteries in [[New Mexico]] (the other being [[Fort Bayard National Cemetery|Fort Bayard]]). It was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2016.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web| url=https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/pdfs/16000588.pdf | title=National Register of Historic Places - Registration Form - Santa Fe National Cemetery | access-date=2021-06-17 | archive-date=2021-06-24 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200125/https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/pdfs/16000588.pdf | url-status=dead}}</ref>
== History == The first known burial in the cemetery occurred in 1868 prior to the formal establishment of the land as a national cemetery.<ref name="auto"/> Though [[New Mexico]] only played a small part in the [[American Civil War]], the cemetery was created after the war to inter the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] soldiers who died fighting there, primarily at the [[Battle of Glorieta Pass]]. The [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe]] donated the land to the federal government in 1870. In 1876 its status was changed to a post cemetery, but in 1885 it became a national cemetery once again. The remains of Governor [[Charles Bent]], the first American governor of the Territory of New Mexico, were among 47 bodies removed in 1895 from the old Masonic Cemetery in Santa Fe to the national cemetery. Between 1896 and 1912, the government moved remains here from several abandoned forts which had small post cemeteries including [[Fort Apache (military post)|Apache]] and [[Fort Grant, Arizona|Grant]] in Arizona, Hatch and [[Fort Wingate|Wingate]] in New Mexico, and Duchesne in Utah among many other smaller posts. In 1953, the government acquired an additional 25 acres, bringing the cemetery to 34 acres.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cem.va.gov/pdf/InterpretiveSigns/SantaFeNationalCemetery.pdf#:~:text=property+was+designated+Santa+Fe+National+Cemetery+on,the+government+moved+remains+here+from+abandoned+forts|title=VA.gov | Veterans Affairs|first=National Cemetery|last=Administration|website=www.cem.va.gov}}</ref> On June 23, 1987, the remains of 31 Confederate soldiers of the Texas Mounted Volunteers who were killed or died as a result of wounds during the Battle of Glorieta Pass were discovered in a mass grave on the battlefield. Three were identified and 28 who could not be identified were reburied in Section K together.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/santafe.asp|title = Santa Fe National Cemetery - National Cemetery Administration}}</ref> In 2007 the remains of sixty-four federal soldiers and civilians discovered by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation at the site of [[Fort Craig]] were relocated to here.<ref>{{cite news |title=Feds Quietly Dig Up 67 Civil War Graves |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/feds-quietly-dig-up-67-civil-war-graves/ |access-date=3 Sep 2018 |agency=CBS News |date=9 April 2008}}</ref> In 2017 the Veterans Administration was unsuccessful in purchasing six acres of land adjacent to the cemetery and current estimates are that the site will be at capacity before 2030.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/29/200-acres-sought-for-new-veterans-cemetery/|title = 200 acres sought for new veterans' cemetery|website = [[The Washington Times]]}}</ref>
== Notable monuments == * Memorial made of granite and bronze dedicated to [[World War II]] Glider Pilots, erected in 1994. * Memorial to "Women Who Served in the Navy" erected in 1995. * The China-Burma-India Veterans Memorial, dedicated to World War II veterans, erected in 2002. * The Navajo Code Talkers Memorial, erected in 2013.
== Notable interments == {{main category|Burials at Santa Fe National Cemetery}} * [[Medal of Honor]] recipients ** Watertender [[Edward A. Clary]], for peace time service on board [[USS Hopkins (DD-6)|USS Hopkins]] ** Private [[Edwin L. Elwood]], for action in Arizona Territory during the [[Indian Wars]] ** Specialist Four [[Daniel D. Fernandez]], for action during the [[Vietnam War]] ** Corporal [[Jacob Guenther]], for action in Arizona Territory during the [[Indian Wars]] ** Second Lieutenant [[Raymond G. Murphy]] USMC, for action in [[Korea]] on February 3, 1953 ** Corporal [[Thomas Murphy (Medal of Honor, 1869)|Thomas Murphy]], US Army, for action in the Indian Wars ** [[Quechan|Yuma Indian]] and Army Scout Sergeant [[Y. B. Rowdy]], for action in [[Arizona Territory]] during the [[Indian Wars]] ** Captain [[Robert S. Scott]], for action in World War II ** Private First Class [[Jose F. Valdez]], for action during World War II * Others ** Captain [[George Nicholas Bascom]], Union officer killed in the [[Battle of Val Verde]] in 1862 ** Governor [[Charles Bent]], first American governor of [[New Mexico Territory]] ** Lieutenant Colonel [[José Francisco Chaves]], [[Union Army]] officer during the [[American Civil War]], [[U.S. Representative]] from the [[New Mexico Territory]] ** [[John Crosby (conductor)|John O. Crosby]], musician, conductor and arts administrator, U.S. Army Veteran ** Forrest Fenn, US Air Force pilot and the person behind the [[Fenn treasure]]. ** [[Tony Hillerman]], novelist and journalist ** [[Van Dorn Hooker]], University architect for the [[University of New Mexico]] ** [[Patrick J. Hurley]], Major General, [[World War I]] and World War II, U.S. Ambassador to China from (1944–45), and [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]] for President [[Herbert Hoover]] ** [[James B. Jones]], [[Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico|lieutenant governor of New Mexico]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115125701/obituary-for-james-b-jones/ |title=Services Set For J.B. Jones on Wednesday|agency=United Press|page=1|work=Santa Fe New Mexican|via=Newspapers.com |date=1947-08-11 |accessdate=2022-12-26}}</ref> ** [[Jack P. Juhan]], Marine Corps Major General ** [[Oliver La Farge]], 1930 [[Pulitzer Prize]] winning author of the novel ''Laughing Boy'', Army Major during [[World War II]] ** [[Francis W. Nye]], Air Force Major General during [[World War II]] and [[Korean War]] ** [[James P. Riseley]], Marine Corps Lieutenant General ** [[William G. Ritch]], acting Governor of the New Mexico Territory, member of the [[Wisconsin State Senate]] ** [[Jack Speer|John Bristol Speer]], attorney, judge, politician, and writer ** [[Roy Tackett]], Marine Corps [[Master sergeant#U.S. Marine Corps|Master Sergeant]] credited with the introduction of Sci-Fi to Japan and co-founder of [[Bubonicon]] ** [[Valentin de Vargas]], actor, U.S. Army veteran. ** [[Rebecca Welles]], American television and film actress ** [[Frank Chee Willeto]], [[Navajo code talker]], [[Congressional Silver Medal]] recipient and [[Vice President of the Navajo Nation]] (1998–1999)<ref name=dh>{{cite news |first=Milan |last=Simonich |title=Navajo Code Talker Willeto laid to rest |url=http://www.demingheadlight.com/deming-news/ci_20991929/navajo-code-talker-willeto-laid-rest |work=[[Texas-New Mexico Newspapers]] |publisher=[[The Deming Headlight]] |date=2012-07-02 |access-date=2012-07-13 |archive-date=2014-07-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714140331/http://www.demingheadlight.com/deming-news/ci_20991929/navajo-code-talker-willeto-laid-rest |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|National Register of Historic Places}} * [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Santa Fe County, New Mexico]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category|Santa Fe National Cemetery}} * [http://www.cem.va.gov/ National Cemetery Administration] * [https://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/santafe.asp Santa Fe National Cemetery] * {{HALS |survey=NM-4 |id=nm0304 |title=Santa Fe National Cemetery}} * {{gnis|type=retired|909020}} * {{Find a Grave cemetery}}
{{National Register of Historic Places}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:United States national cemeteries]] [[Category:Protected areas of Santa Fe County, New Mexico]] [[Category:Historic American Landscapes Survey in New Mexico]] [[Category:Tourist attractions in Santa Fe, New Mexico]] [[Category:1870 establishments in New Mexico Territory]] [[Category:Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in New Mexico]] [[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Santa Fe, New Mexico]] [[Category:Pueblo Revival architecture in Santa Fe, New Mexico]]