Barrancas National Cemetery is a

United States National Cemetery The United States National Cemetery System is a system of 164 cemeteries in the United States and its territories. The authority to create military burial places came during the American Civil War, in an act passed by the U.S. Congress o ...

located at

Naval Air Station Pensacola Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United State ...

, in the city of

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

. It encompasses , and as of 2021 had over 50,000 interments.

History

The area has been used as a burial ground since the construction of

Fort Barrancas Fort Barrancas (1839) or Fort San Carlos de Barrancas (from 1787) is a United States military fort and National Historic Landmark in the former Warrington area of Pensacola, Florida, located physically within Naval Air Station Pensacola, which wa ...

. In 1838 it was established as a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

cemetery. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Pensacola was hotly contested, as it was considered to be the best port for access to the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

. Numerous soldiers on both sides were interred in the cemetery after falling in combat, or dying in nearby hospitals. After the war, in 1868, Barrancas was officially made a National Cemetery and many other nearby makeshift burial grounds were disinterred and relocated to Barrancas. In each year, 1944, 1950, 1986, and 1990, more area was transferred from NAS Pensacola to expand the facilities for the cemetery.

Notable monuments

Barrancas National Cemetery has a monument honoring those soldiers who died from

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...

. It was erected in 1884 by the Marine Guard of the Pensacola Navy Yard.

Notable interments

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

recipients ** Colonel George E. "Bud" Day, USAF, former

POW A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

and recipient for action in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

** Commander

Clyde Everett Lassen Clyde Everett Lassen (March 14, 1942 – April 1, 1994), a native of Fort Myers, Florida, was a Commander in the United States Navy and a Naval Aviator. He initially served over four years as an enlisted sailor, enlisting in September 1961 a ...

, USN, recipient for action in the Vietnam War ** Major

Stephen W. Pless Stephen Wesley Pless (September 6, 1939 – July 20, 1969) was a major in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He earned the Medal of Honor as a UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" helicopter pilot for rescuing soldiers trapped by heavy enemy f ...

, USMC, recipient for action in the Vietnam War ** Staff Sergeant

Clifford Chester Sims Clifford Chester Sims (June 18, 1942 – February 21, 1968) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War. Biography Sims was born Clifford Pitt ...

, USA, recipient for action in the Vietnam War * Others ** Vice admiral

Dick H. Guinn Dick Henry Guinn (March 27, 1918 – August 26, 1980) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of vice admiral. A Naval Academy graduate, he distinguished himself as pilot and flight leader of Fighter Squadron 94 dur ...

, USN,

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

veteran and

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

recipient. Former

Chief of Naval Personnel The Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) is responsible for overall manpower readiness for the United States Navy. As such the CNP is the highest ranking human resources officer in the Navy. The CNP also serves as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Ma ...

** Lieutenant General

Robert P. Keller Robert Prescott Keller (February 9, 1920 – November 13, 2010) was a highly decorated Naval aviator in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general. He began his career as reserve pilot during World War II; he shot down on ...

, USMC, Marine Aviator during World War II, Korea and Vietnam ** General Joe W. Kelly, USAF, former commander of

Military Air Transport Service The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Force's ...

from 1960 to 1964 ** Major General William L. McKittrick, USMC, Marine Aviator during World War II ** Colonel

Arthur D. Simons Arthur D. "Bull" Simons (June 28, 1918 – May 21, 1979) was a United States Army Special Forces colonel best known for leading the Sơn Tây raid, an attempted rescue of U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War from a North Vietnamese p ...

, USA, Special Forces commander and leader of the Sơn Tây raid ** Benny Spellman (1931–2011), US Army Korean War veteran and R&B singer ** Admiral

Maurice F. Weisner Maurice Franklin Weisner (November 20, 1917October 15, 2006) was a four-star admiral of the United States Navy who served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations from 1972 to 1973; commander in chief, United States Pacific Fleet from 1973 to 1976; and ...

, USN, former commander of

US Pacific Command United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific region. Formerly known as United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) since its inception in 1947, t ...

from 1976 to 1979 **

Daniel Phineas Woodbury Daniel Phineas Woodbury (December 16, 1812 – August 15, 1864) was an American soldier and an engineer during the American Civil War. Birth and early years Woodbury was born at New London, New Hampshire. He graduated at West Point in 1836, ent ...

(1812–1864), Civil War Union Major General ** Ga-Ah, one of the many wives of the

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

Indian

Geronimo Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache ba ...

, who died of

Bright's disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine, and was frequently accompanied b ...

while being held captive The cemetery also holds 17 casualties of the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...

and 10 British aviators (6

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

, 4

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

) killed during training at the Naval Air Station during World War II.

References

External links

National Cemetery Administration

Barrancas National Cemetery

* * * * {{National Register of Historic Places in Florida Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida Buildings and structures in Pensacola, Florida National Register of Historic Places in Escambia County, Florida United States national cemeteries Protected areas of Escambia County, Florida Historic American Buildings Survey in Florida Historic American Landscapes Survey in Florida Tourist attractions in Pensacola, Florida

History

Notable monuments

Notable interments

See also

References

External links